Out Of The Woods
by RegalKails
Summary: Regina and Emma were no strangers to loneliness. Finding each other changed everything. The two women were starting to believe that true love really did exist. And true love lasts forever - Or does it?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi everyone! Much of the inspiration, as well as the title, for this fic came from the Taylor Swift song "Out Of The Woods". This story is AU, so no magic. It's my first time writing a fic so please let me know what you think. Any feedback is appreciated! Hope you all enjoy! :)**

* * *

Chapter One

Boston's Public Garden. It was the most beautiful place in the whole city. That's what Emma thought anyway. It had every kind of flower you could think of, but the weeping willows that surrounded the pond were always Emma's favorite. The way that their frail branches hung over and fell towards the ground made them seem sad. It was a beautiful kind of sadness though. It was something the blonde could relate to, which is perhaps why she found solace in sitting beneath them.

This day was particularly beautiful. It was early May and the first day of the year that it was warm enough for Emma to wear her favorite skinny jeans and cutoff t shirt. Spring was in full effect. Butterflies were flittering around everywhere, and the pond was full of swans and ducks with their newly hatched babies following behind them. Alongside were couples taking a romantic ride in the swan boats. It was such a difference from just a couple of months prior when the pond was frozen solid and there was no sign of life aside from the ever-falling snow. Emma swore at one point that it was going to snow forever.

Adding to the day's significance was that at nine o'clock that morning, Emma was walking across a stage to accept the diploma for the college degree she spent the last four years earning. It was a bittersweet feeling. She knew what an accomplishment this was, but there would be no celebration or party in her honor since she had no family to share it with. So she came to the one place where she always found peace, this sanctuary that had provided an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city that surrounded it on all sides.

Most would probably consider today a miracle, considering all the challenges Emma faced while growing up. She very rarely let anyone close enough to learn about her past though. To say she put up walls would be an understatement. It was more like an entire fortress that was constructed in a way that made it impossible for anyone to penetrate. But who could blame her? Everyone she had ever trusted had let her down in some way.

She tried not to dwell too much on the past. But on days like today it was impossible not to reflect on all of the struggles that brought her to this point. It was still so baffling to her that someone was capable of leaving their newborn baby on the side of the road next to a hole-in-the-wall diner. Her parents didn't even have the decency to bring her to a nearby hospital or fire station. She was less than a day old. She was found by a young boy who was eating lunch at the diner with his father. Emma would always be grateful for the stranger who saved her life.

As if being abandoned by her parents wasn't difficult enough to swallow, Emma had been in more foster homes than she could remember. For a long time she held onto the hope that one day she would be adopted. But it seemed to be the same thing time and time again. The family she was staying with would miraculously have their own baby and Emma became nothing more than a burden, so she was placed back into the foster system and was forced to start all over again with a new family.

After a while, the constant moving and uprooting of her life began to take a toll on her. As a young girl she suffered from abuse at the hands of many of the foster fathers that she was forced to live with. At first she tried to tell someone, anyone who she thought would listen. But nobody did. The people whom she told were either in denial or didn't believe that a kid who grew up like Emma was capable of telling the truth about anything. She eventually started to rebel, making it difficult for any foster parent she was placed with. If they were only in it for the money then she was going to make sure she made their lives a living hell until they decided they couldn't deal with her anymore.

At sixteen years old, Emma decided that she had had enough disappointment at the hands of other people. She made a choice to take control of her own destiny so she ran away to escape life as a foster child. Figuring that it couldn't be any worse than some of the places she'd already lived, she was willing to take her chances living on the street.

Emma discovered that her newfound independence came with an entirely different set of challenges than she was used to facing. Hunger became a very familiar feeling. For fear that she would be found by child protective services, she tried to avoid the shelters and food kitchens as much as possible. She had to rely on spare change from strangers for most of her meals. On the nights when she had no money and the pangs of hunger became too much to bear, she lingered near the backdoors of restaurants, waiting to rummage through the wasted food from that evening's dinner service.

Being the survivor that she was, Emma was almost always able to find somewhere to sleep in which she had a roof over her head. The good thing about Boston was that most of the homes had basements, and the teenager quickly learned how to determine which of those were abandoned. Picking locks, along with hotwiring cars, became second nature to her.

Several months passed by. Each day was exactly like the one before. Emma realized she couldn't continue living her life this way. The reason she escaped, after all, was to make something more of herself, so she made up her mind that that's exactly what she would do.

Emma decided that her first step was to get her GED so that she could start applying to colleges. Having above average intelligence helped her to pass the test fairly easily. She then spent most of her days in the public library researching different colleges and applying for every scholarship and grant possible. Boston University was her top choice, and it didn't take long for her to receive her acceptance letter. Against all odds she actually did it. This was the beginning of a new life. A better life. For the first time since she was a little girl, Emma had hope.

Fast forward four years and here she was, a college graduate, with a degree in criminal justice. Emma didn't know exactly what she wanted her career to be, but she had some time to figure it out. She was fortunate enough to not only have her tuition paid for with scholarships, but she also received enough money in grants to cover all of her living expenses. This allowed her to save nearly all of the money that she earned from her waitressing job she'd had since her freshman year, and it was more than enough to get by till she could find a job.

* * *

Emma didn't realize how long she'd been laying in her favorite spot under the tree until she noticed that the sun was starting to set. Time to go home, she thought. This would be the last night in her dorm and she still had some stuff left to pack.

* * *

"Lily, you here?" Emma called to her roommate once she walked into their dorm.

"Yeah Em in the bathroom!" Lily came out a few seconds later to greet Emma with a hug.

Emma was surprised to see that Lily was dressed in sweats rather than typical Friday night club attire. "Where are your leather pants? Are you actually staying home on a Friday night?" Emma asked sarcastically.

"You don't really think I'd leave you home alone on our last night together, do you?"

"Well you have become quite the social butterfly lately so I thought you would be too cool to hang out with little old me."

Emma couldn't blame Lily for wanting to get out and meet new people. Nor could she blame anyone for wanting to be friends with Lily. Not only was her energetic personality infectious, but she was absolutely gorgeous. She had long brown hair, perfect skin, and a toned body, not to mention a smile that could light up any room. How was it possible for someone to be so naturally and effortlessly beautiful? Emma quickly snapped out of the daze she was in just in time to see the pillow that was flying across the room towards her head. She swatted it down to the floor just in time.

Lily just winked and with a smirk on her face said, "Stop Em, you know you're still my favorite."

The two girls met during their sophomore year and had an immediate connection. On the surface, their upbringings seemed to be vastly different. Lily's family was very wealthy. To someone on the outside looking in it would appear that her life was perfect. Money wasn't everything though, and Lily knew this better than anyone.

Unbeknownst to a lot of people, Lily was adopted. When she was thirteen years old, she was rummaging through her father's home office. She just wanted to find some old family photos for a school project and then there they were, the adoption papers. She stared at them for what felt like an eternity before the numbness subsided. And then the feeling of betrayal set in. But she also felt somewhat relieved, surprisingly. Everything suddenly made more sense at that point. Now she knew why she never really felt like she belonged. Emma understood this feeling all too well.

Emma and Lily always believed it was fate that brought them together. They hit it off so well that they even tried dating for some time. As in most relationships, the beginning was a whirlwind of emotions and they were both on cloud nine. However, their lack of experience in the relationship department made things very volatile at times. The sex was great, but the baggage each of them carried around, along with their inability to effectively communicate, was too much to handle. So the girls made the mutual decision to be friends, and they had remained such ever since. Such good friends in fact that they opted to live together for the remainder of college.

"I can't believe I won't be sharing a room with you after tonight." Water was filling Emma's eyes and as much as she tried to blink it away, a single tear escaped and fell down her cheek.

"You know Em, you don't always have to be so strong. I'm sad too. Really sad actually. You're the only person who's ever truly understood me." Lily was now sniffling too, trying to hold back the tears. The attempt to not cry was just as useless for her as it was for the blonde sitting on the bed across from her.

"At least you have a family to go home to, Lil."

"You're more my family than they are. You know that. Want me to ask my dad if you can stay with us for a while?"

While she was appreciative that Lily was sincerely trying to help, the suggestion made Emma chuckle. "No thanks. I love you for offering. I really do. But you and I both know your dad wouldn't be too thrilled about that. If you feel like an outcast there, can you imagine how I'd feel? Ha."

"Touché. But let's promise to stay friends, okay? No matter what, there won't be anything we can't come back from."

Emma couldn't help but smile at the brunette. "Okay, yeah. Promise." And with that, the two girls settled down next to each other on Emma's bed to watch 50 First Dates until they both fell asleep.

* * *

Emma looked at the clock. Was it really only 3am? She had been tossing and turning for what felt like hours. How was she supposed to sleep when she had no clue where she would even be going once she left her dorm in the morning? And then an idea hit her like a ton of bricks.

"Lily wake up!"

Lily was so frazzled at being awoken so suddenly that she nearly fell out of the bed. "What the hell, Em? Are you okay?"

"I'm sorry but I know where I'm gonna go and I just had to tell you. Do you remember the time I found the newspaper article about where I was found?"

"Yeah. What about it?" Lily was still attempting to rub the sleep out of her eyes.

"Well I didn't tell you at the time, but I did some more research and found out that there's a small town not too far from the diner. I wanna go there."

"Oh no, are you still trying to find your parents? We both tried that, remember? I don't want you to be disappointed again."

"No, nothing like that. I want to see if I can find out more information about the boy who found me. Maybe he lives in that town, Lil. It's not like I have anywhere else to go. And I've never been to Maine except when I was a baby, so why the hell not?"

"Well if that's what you're dead set on doing, then I support you. Now can I go back to sleep?"

"Sure. I just wanted to wake you up now cause, well, I'm gonna start loading my stuff into the bug. It's four hours from here and I'd like to get there early since I have no idea what to expect."

"Damn it. Okay give me a sec to wake up and I'll help you. You're completely insane by the way." Lily slowly dragged herself out of the bed that she had been sharing with Emma. Once she stretched she quickly pulled on a hoodie and announced that she was ready to get started.

By the time all of Emma's belongings were placed in her car it was nearly 5am. Emma didn't have a lot of stuff but trying to fit it all into her yellow, two door VW bug had still presented quite the challenge. After she threw the last of her bags onto her front seat she turned toward Lily. Just seeing the look of sadness on her best friend's face was enough to make her totally lose it.

Lily had been the one constant in her life and the only person whom she could depend on. And now it was time to say goodbye. This time she didn't try to stop the tears from flowing, as it would have been a pointless attempt. The two friends embraced each other so tightly that it made it hard to breathe. But neither cared. They wanted to hold onto this moment for as long as they could. Minutes had passed when Emma finally willed herself to pull away.

Lily was the first to be able to speak. "You should go before I drag you back upstairs and tie you to a chair so you can't leave."

This made Emma laugh a little despite the fact that she was still crying. "I guess you're right. It's not like this is goodbye forever, anyways."

"You bet your ass it's not. Friends. No matter what."

"Right. No matter what." After one final hug Emma got into her car. It took her a minute before turning the key to start the ignition. With one last glance and smile at her friend, she pulled out of her parking spot and began her drive to Maine.

* * *

Emma had been driving for over three and a half hours now. The only stop she made was at a Dunkin Donuts an hour into her trip to get a much needed coffee and a bear claw. It was the breakfast of champions as far as she was concerned.

Where the hell could this town be? She felt like she had to be close but all she saw on either side of the two-lane highway were trees, without any sign of nearby civilization. Just as she was about to pull over to make sure her phone was leading her in the right direction she saw a sign in the distance. Once she was close enough to see the sign clearly, it confirmed that she had made it to her destination. She breathed a sigh of relief upon reading the three words.

"Welcome To Storybrooke."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I hope you all enjoyed reading the first chapter! This chapter has some flashbacks which are represented by the italicized paragraphs. Without further ado, I'll let you get on to reading about our favorite mayor ;)**

* * *

Chapter Two

Regina sat in Granny's Diner, as she did nearly every morning. She liked to arrive early, before the morning rush. She was never one for small talk so the more that she could avoid the townspeople of Storybrooke, the better.

Ruby placed Regina's breakfast on the table in front of her. She always ordered the same thing. Egg whites and whole wheat toast. Ruby scrunched up her nose at the mayor. "Don't you ever get tired of eating the same thing?"

The brunette glared at Ruby. "I don't believe I solicited your opinion, Ms. Lucas." With that, Ruby walked away and left Regina to eat her breakfast in peace.

As she was about to take her first bite, she heard the door to the diner open and she looked up. She was disgusted when she saw who walked in. It was none other than Mary Margaret Blanchard. Regina disliked a lot of people, most people actually. But if there was one person she absolutely despised, it was Mary Margaret.

The two women had known each other for years. The relationship between them wasn't always so volatile. They considered themselves to be good friends at one point. Best friends even. The thought of this caused Regina's stomach to turn, as she recalled the day that changed everything between them, more than 10 years prior.

* * *

_Regina met Mary Margaret on the first day of her freshman year of high school. The two were paired together in a homeroom activity that was designed to help them get to know their peers. The two girls couldn't have been more different from each other. _

_Mary Margaret's upbringing was as close to a fairytale as one could possibly get. Her parents adored each other and never missed an opportunity to let their daughter know how much they loved her and how proud they were of her. There was so much to be proud of, after all. Mary Margaret was sweet, sensitive, and had a purity that could be compared to newly fallen snow. Her demeanor was so carefree, and she wore her heart on her sleeve. Everyone she met was instantly drawn to her sincerity. _

_At ten years old, however, Mary Margaret's mother passed away from a sudden illness. Even though she was devastated she still continued to keep a smile on her face in an effort to be strong for her father and everyone else in her life. It was a heavy burden for such a young child to carry, but she wanted nothing more than to make her mother proud. She promised that she would always be caring and compassionate to those around her._

_Regina had nowhere near as much love and affection while growing up. She had a close relationship with her father. Her mother, on the other hand, was an entirely different story. It seemed from the moment Regina was born that nothing she could do would ever be satisfactory in the eyes of Cora. As she grew older, she tried everything she possibly could to impress her mother. This constant need for perfection tended to push others away. She learned too early in life how to put walls up in order to avoid the sting that accompanied Cora's harsh words of disappointment. She became accustomed to isolation and was able to convince herself that she didn't have any desire for friends._

_Mary Margaret didn't seem to notice Regina's rigid nature and was excited about the chance to possibly make a new friend. It was the first time anyone showed a genuine interest in getting to know the mysterious brunette. Regina sat in her desk silently, trying to resist having a conversation with the bubbly stranger. Her life-long feeling of loneliness which turned to numbness over time, made the outer shell of her exterior nearly impossible to crack._

_Mary Margaret didn't seem to notice how stand-offish her counterpart was. Being the eternal optimist that she was, she assumed that this potential new friend of hers was just shy. She figured that after some time Regina would feel comfortable enough to open up to her, and she vowed to herself that she would continue trying to be her friend._

* * *

_Going to the stables was the one thing that always brought Regina a sense of peace. It was the one place where she could escape her mother since Cora never showed an interest in much of anything that her daughter was passionate about. _

_It was Regina's father who instilled in her this love of horses, which was just one of the many reasons why she loved him so much. As soon as Regina kicked her right leg up and over her saddle it was like she transformed and became a different person. The rest of the world disappeared. She felt free. She often dreamed of riding her horse off into the sunset, never to return to Storybrooke. But she knew that running away from her mother was not an option. Cora would find her, and Regina did not want to even begin to think of what the consequences would be for such insolence. _

_This day was different than most for Regina at the stables. She normally had scheduled riding sessions that were very structured. It was the only reason Cora agreed to letting her go to the lessons in the first place. But today it was just Regina and her horse, free to roam about as they pleased. _

_The trail leading down to the small river by the toll bridge was a favorite of Regina's. It was surrounded by the forest, and the light sound of the water trickling over the rocks made it very serene. As she jumped off of her horse to lead him to the river for a drink, she heard something in the distance. _

_What could that be? She wondered to herself. She rarely encountered anyone on this trail. But the sound was getting closer and it sounded like screaming. Then she saw where it was coming from. Bolting out of the forest and down the bank of the river was a runaway horse. The screaming came from the girl who was on the back of it and was holding on for dear life._

_Regina immediately took action, jumping onto her horse in an effort to chase down the out of control stallion and save the girl. Luckily she was able to catch up with them. She reached for the girl, pulling her onto her own horse. She brought her horse to a stop so that both girls could catch their breath and put their feet on solid ground. The girl turned to face her and Regina immediately recognized her. It was Mary Margaret._

_"Oh my goodness Regina, I don't know what I would have done without you! You saved my life! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Mary Margaret leaned in to hug her rescuer, but Regina immediately backed away._

_"It's quite fine, no need to thank me. I'm glad I was able to help." Regina showed no emotion, despite the excitement of the events that had just taken place._

_Mary Margaret had the biggest smile on her face. "I knew I was right about you Regina."_

_"I'm not sure I understand what you're referring to."_

_"Well, you don't exactly come off as the warmest person, but I could tell you had so much good inside of you. And you just proved that I'm right. I knew that we would be friends one day!" Mary Margaret was now beaming with gratitude and what appeared to be a hint of satisfaction._

_Regina stood there in disbelief. Was Mary Margaret her friend now? She wasn't even sure what being a friend entailed. But the thought didn't seem completely horrible to her. Maybe it would be nice to have someone to talk to and take away some of the loneliness she'd always felt. She paused a moment longer before making a confession. "I've never had a friend before so I'm not really sure how this is supposed to work."_

_Mary Margaret's smile remained as she said, "Now that we're friends, we can figure it out together."_

* * *

_It never made sense to anyone how Regina Mills and Mary Margaret Blanchard could become friends. Their classmates certainly never thought the unlikely duo's friendship would last. But after two years, here they were. Regina still wondered how she and Mary Margaret hadn't strangled each other, considering that they were total opposites. Her best friend had been driving her crazy lately though, and their current conversation mimicked almost every other they'd had for the past week._

_"__Regina and Daniel sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g," Mary Margaret teasingly sang to her friend. _

_"__Grow up, Mary Margaret! How many times do I have to tell you that I don't like Daniel?"_

_The pixie-haired brunette stared at Regina disbelievingly. "Yeah right. How could you not like him? He's smart and he's sweet! And he's one of the cutest seniors at Storybrooke High."_

_Regina gave an exasperated look to her best friend. She wanted to object but didn't know what to say. She had already been dodging the subject for days. She sat tight lipped, afraid that if she opened her mouth even just a little her secret would come spilling out._

_What could she say to get Mary Margaret to leave her alone about this? She could tell her that her mother wouldn't allow her to date. She shook her head at the thought. Her friend would never believe that. Cora was always talking about how she was concerned about the fact that her daughter had never expressed interest in having a boyfriend. Regina usually dismissed it, claiming that she had more important things to worry about such as her future. She knew she couldn't avoid the topic forever and decided now was as good a time as any to tell the truth._

_"__Mary Margaret, I need to tell you something." She paused for a moment, hoping to settle her nerves. "I don't want a boyfriend."_

_"__Duh, I already know that." Mary Margaret said matter-of-factly._

_Regina was suddenly confused. "You do?"_

_"__Yes, Regina. You think having a boyfriend will distract you from the quest you're on of trying to be perfect for your mom."_

_While she brought up a good point, Regina realized that her friend had no clue as to the real reasoning behind her resistance to dating Daniel. "No that's not it."_

_Now it was Mary Margaret's turn to be confused. "Well spit it out then."_

_"__Swear to me that you won't tell a soul."_

_"__I swear. Come on, just tell me. I'm your best friend. You know that you can trust me with any secret that you have."_

_Regina was still hesitant but decided that it was now or never. "I….. It's not just Daniel that I'm not attracted to. I'm not attracted to any guy."_

_Regina was trying to gauge Mary Margaret's reaction and just saw wide eyes staring back at her. She started to tense up and then began rambling on in an effort to explain what she just said. "I hope you don't think I'm trying to say that I like you. Well you're my friend so of course I like you. But not in that kind of way. I've never actually liked any girl but I just know. Ugh I'm so stupid, I shouldn't have anything. I'm sorry, just forget that I told you and –" _

_Mary Margaret decided that now would be a good time to interrupt her. "Regina, stop!" She continued on once she knew she had her friend's attention. "Were you not listening when I just told you that I'm your best friend? I don't care who you like. I love and accept you for who you are."_

_A wave of relief hit Regina. She didn't notice until now that tears were starting to fall down her cheeks. She never cried, but this was one time that she didn't care about being strong. She continued to weep as she felt her best friend's arms surround her._

_It didn't take more than a few moments for Regina to compose herself again. She could tell by the look on Mary Margaret's face that the question and answer portion of this conversation was about to commence. "I know you want to ask me something so just ask."_

_"__So you've really never told anyone else about this?"_

_"__No, of course not. You know my mother. I could never risk her finding out. She would disown me."_

_"__Do you really think she would do that? She's your mom. I'm sure she just wants you to be happy."_

_"__No way. I'd rather be alone for the rest of my life than to tell her this. So please, don't say anything to anyone. She can never find out."_

_"__Your secret is safe with me. But I think you're going to have to tell her someday."_

_Regina was really hoping that day would never come. She couldn't even begin to imagine what would happen if Cora discovered this secret. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Mary Margaret's cell phone ringing._

_"__That was my dad. He wants me to go pick up dinner at Granny's. And don't worry Regina, everything will be okay." She smiled and hugged her friend before walking out of Regina's bedroom._

* * *

_A week had gone by since Regina revealed her big secret, and Mary Margaret was still completely un-phased by it. She was happy that her friend felt comfortable enough with her to share something so personal. She was also hoping that by showing her that their friendship hadn't changed, then maybe Regina would muster up the courage to tell her mother one day._

_Just as that thought crossed her mind, she heard someone come into Granny's and she couldn't believe her eyes when she saw that it was Cora standing in the doorway. Despite the fact that Cora was polite, Mary Margaret always felt uneasy around her. She was hoping her to-go order would be ready quickly to avoid any type of conversation with her. Today was not her lucky day though._

_"Mary Margaret, dear. How have you been?" Cora asked._

_"I've been well, Mrs. Mills. And you?"_

_"I'm glad you asked dear. I've been feeling quite troubled lately. Do you mind if we step outside for a moment so we can speak privately?"_

_Mary Margaret was not prepared for this. She knew her cheeks must be as red as an apple and she was struggling to gain her composure. "Sure Mrs. Mills. Is everything okay?"_

_Once they were outside, Cora signaled for Mary Margaret to sit down at the table furthest from the walkway that lead into the diner. _

_"I'm very concerned about my daughter. She's always been a bit of a loner, but I'm afraid that it's making her unhappy. I ran into that young man, Daniel, the other day. He said that he was hoping I would give him permission to take Regina on a date. When I told him that I would be delighted for Regina to go on a date with such a nice gentlemen, he informed me that it was Regina who told him that I would never allow it. Mary Margaret, do you know why she would say something like this?"_

_Just as her nerves had started to calm, Mary Margaret could feel the heat returning back to her face. "Mrs. Mills, that might be a better question for Regina to answer. Maybe she didn't want to hurt his feelings."_

_"Dear, you and I both know that my daughter has never had an issue with hurting someone's feelings with her honesty. That means that she must be hiding something. Please Mary Margaret, you're her best friend. She must've said something to you. It warms my heart that you two share everything. I just wish that she felt comfortable enough to share things with me. The most important thing to me is Regina's happiness. I'd do anything to make her happy."_

_Regina didn't open up about her mother very often. It was always a sensitive subject, and Mary Margaret learned early on in the friendship that it was one topic of conversation that was not to be pushed. The things she did know about Cora though, were not pleasant. She knew of the pressures that she placed on Regina, and that Regina constantly lived in fear of disappointing her mother. She felt like one wrong move would cause their fragile relationship to break apart and shatter._

_What was Mary Margaret supposed to do now? Cora seemed to be genuinely concerned about her daughter. Surely nobody in their right mind would pretend to be worried about their own child while having some ulterior motive._

_Cora was looking at Mary Margaret expectantly, and she finally answered. "You'd do anything?"_

_"__Oh of course, dear. I don't want us to lose each other. Hopefully I can show her how I feel, that no matter what, all I want is her happiness."_

_Mary Margaret knew she was stuck between a rock and a hard place. She didn't want to betray Regina's trust. But Cora said she just wanted her daughter to be happy. And Mary Margaret knew what it was like to not have a mother. It broke her heart to think that Regina and Cora's relationship could become nonexistent if they continued down this path of secrecy. So maybe telling her about Regina would bring them closer together and then her best friend wouldn't have to hide anymore. She knew what she had to do._

_"Regina did share something with me. She made me promise not to say anything. She was afraid to tell you out of fear that you would stop loving her and that she would lose you."_

_"Oh sweet girl, I could never stop loving her, and she's not going to lose me. Please tell me what has been upsetting my daughter. You must tell me." Cora gave a look urging her to continue on._

_After taking a deep breath Mary Margaret told the one secret she swore she never would. "Regina..." she paused, "is not interested in dating Daniel. Or any guy for that matter."_

_It took a moment for Cora to catch on but when she did she could feel the rage bubbling inside of her. By some miracle she was able to remain calm, her voice never wavering. "Thank you dear. I'm so happy you told me. And don't worry, everything with Regina will be just fine." And with that, she said goodbye to Mary Margaret and left the diner._

* * *

_Cora stormed into Regina's room with such force that the door nearly ripped away from its hinges. The teenager, who had been studying at her desk, almost fell out of her chair due to the unexpected commotion. _

_"Mother what on earth is this about?" _

_"Regina Mills, if I ever hear from another person that you have even considered engaging in any type deviant behavior then you will be sorry. I did not spend the last sixteen years raising you just for you to be an embarrassment to this family."_

_"You're going to have to be a bit more specific mother." Regina still had no idea what Cora could possibly be talking about._

_"Your friend so graciously told me about your lack of attraction to the opposite sex. Whatever confusion you seem to be feeling about the matter ends right this instant!" Cora stormed out of the room in the same fashion that she entered, the door slamming behind her._

_Regina's mouth dropped. Her eyes began to fill with tears. How could this be happening? She trusted Mary Margaret. She swore she would keep this a secret. _

_She picked up the phone and began dialing her number to demand an explanation. She changed her mind just before she dialed the last digit and put the phone down. There was no explanation that could justify such betrayal. Mary Margaret had ruined Regina's life. And for that she would never forgive her._

* * *

Regina's mind snapped back to reality. Despite how long ago that day was, she still became overwhelmed with anger every time she thought about it. It was Mary Margaret's fault that she had never been happy. At least she learned a valuable lesson that nobody could be trusted.

She looked down at her food, which she realized was completely untouched. She didn't care. She couldn't stand being in such close proximity to such a traitor. She threw her money on the table and made her way to the door of the diner.

"Madame Mayor you didn't eat anything." Ruby called after her, clearly confused.

Regina looked at Mary Margaret with the most frightening glare before turning to Ruby. "I seem to have lost my appetite."

Regina walked out of the diner to begin what she thought would be another predictable day in Storybrooke.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews, favorites, and follows! It means more to me than I can say, and it's inspired me to finish this chapter a few days earlier than I originally anticipated. This story will be a bit of a roller coaster but I think that you'll enjoy the ride! Is anyone else as excited as I am for Emma and Regina's first encounter? ;)**

* * *

Chapter Three

Emma turned onto Main Street just before 9am. She knew Storybrooke would be a small town, but what she saw as she looked down the short stretch of road was still a bit of a shock. It looked as if she had just driven onto a television set or something. It was obvious that nothing here had changed in years, maybe even decades. "Did I just enter the freaking twilight zone?" She mumbled aloud to herself.

The first thing that caught her eye was the clock tower. It was the tallest structure on the entire street but still didn't come close to comparing to even the smallest building in downtown Boston. She had to do a double take when she saw the time on the clock showed 8:15. She thought she was going crazy for a minute until she realized the clock wasn't moving.

Emma was relieved when soon after she saw a diner. Her earlier breakfast proved to not be as substantial as she thought. Not to mention she was sick of being in the car, and she needed to plan her next course of action to avoid driving around aimlessly. She parked the bug and headed across the street.

She chuckled when she read that the name of the establishment was Granny's. Go figure, she thought. What else would a diner be named in a town like this? It wouldn't surprise Emma if there was also a hardware store close by called "Pop's".

The outside of Granny's was actually kind of cute. With the exception of the entrance, the front seating area was enclosed by a green fence. There were several potted plants that were scattered about, along with a few tables with umbrellas hanging over them. Emma wasn't sure how often people actually sat out there considering how cold it was for much of the year. But still, it had a homey feel to it.

Walking into the diner, Emma was aware that all eyes were on her. She tried to make a subtle entrance but that damn bell on the door ruined any hopes that she could slip in without being noticed. The attention made her uncomfortable so she just looked toward the floor, avoiding any eye contact, and slinked into the booth in the back corner.

"Whoa, is there actually someone new in Storybrooke?"

Emma looked up to see a woman walking towards her. She had long brown hair with red streaks sporadically mixed throughout. She was clearly a waitress, but her too-short shorts and shirt that showed her entire stomach wasn't exactly the most professional attire in Emma's opinion. She was even more taken aback when the brunette took it upon herself to sit in the booth across from her. "Umm… hey" was all she could manage to say in her state of discomfort.

Ruby could sense Emma's hesitance to speak so she tried to make up for her initial outburst upon seeing the stranger. "Hi! I'm Ruby. Sorry if I freaked you out. We just don't get many visitors. There's not much to visit, as you can see."

"Yeah I kinda guessed that. Is it okay if I order something?"

The waitress had seemingly forgotten her job title for a moment. "Oh! Yeah sure. What can I get for you?"

Emma took one last look at the menu. "I'll take the cheese omelet. And a hot chocolate with whipped cream and cinnamon."

"Cinnamon on your hot chocolate? Weird." This was obviously the first time Ruby had ever heard such a request.

"You don't have much of a filter, do you?" Emma teased.

"I do what I can to add a little spice to this boring town."

Just then Emma heard someone yelling from the kitchen. "Ruby quit botherin' our guests and get back to work!"

Ruby yelled back, "Ugh I'm coming granny! Calm down before you give yourself another heart attack!" Even though she was clearly annoyed, she quickly put a smile on her face before turning back towards Emma. "I'll be back in a little bit with your order." Ruby then got up and walked behind the counter.

Barely five minutes had passed when Ruby was back at Emma's booth and placing her hot chocolate on the table along with her food.

"Wow that was fast, thanks." While Emma thought that the waitress was a bit eccentric, she certainly couldn't complain about the service.

"No problem. Let me know if you need anything else."

Emma thought for a moment and said, "Actually yeah, I wanted to ask you something."

"Okay shoot."

"I'm doing some research and I need to find out some information about something that happened around 23 years ago." Emma could tell by the look on Ruby's face that she was hoping for something a little more exciting, but she was careful not to give too much away. She had just met this person after all.

"Well I'm not sure what you're looking for since nothing interesting ever happens around here, but you can try Town Hall. That's where all the public records and old newspaper articles are kept. It's normally closed on the weekend, but this is the one Saturday a month when they hold meetings there. So you should be able to get in."

"Cool, thanks. How do I get there from here?"

Ruby pointed and said, "It's within walking distance. Just keep going in that direction and it's the big yellow building with white columns. You can't miss it."

"Awesome. Thanks for your help."

"No problem." Ruby said with warmth and sincerity in her eyes. "Enjoy your omelet."

* * *

Emma was stuffed. This may have just been the best omelet she'd ever tasted, and she ate every morsel. Ruby was occupied, flirting with the mechanic sitting at the counter, so Emma walked up to pay for her meal.

"Hey thanks again, Ruby. The meal was great and I appreciate your help with everything else too. You said I can walk to Town Hall, right?"

"Yeah, but is that your yellow car across the street?" Ruby nodded in the direction of Emma's bug.

"Yep. And look, don't judge her. She gets me where I need to go."

The brunette just laughed. "No that's not what I meant. I just don't recommend leaving it there. If the mayor sees it then she'll put a boot on it." Ruby looked around to make sure nobody was close enough to hear her and then whispered, "Don't tell anyone I said this but she can be a real bitch. Her name's Regina Mills. If you see her, you might want to walk the other way."

Emma didn't understand why she had to move her car. It wasn't like there were a bunch of people outside fighting for a parking spot. This place seemed like a ghost town compared to Boston. It wasn't Ruby's fault though so she didn't want to argue. "Thanks for the warning cause that would've sucked. Any idea where I can park it?"

"Sure. You can pull it around back by the Bed and Breakfast."

Emma perked up at the mention of the B&amp;B. "Do you know if there are any rooms available? I need a place to stay and as you probably guessed, I have no clue where anything is around here."

"Didn't you hear me say we never have any visitors? You can choose any room you want. Granny owns that too. She just went over there actually so she can get you all set up."

"I sure as hell am glad I came in here. Thanks, Ruby. Seriously. I'm Emma by the way. I'm sure I'll see you around." Emma gave a smile and a wave before exiting the diner.

* * *

Ruby wasn't kidding when she said Emma could have her choice of any room. It looked like nobody had stayed there in ages, and Emma wondered how the place even stayed open. She wasn't complaining though. Emma had a feeling that this might be the only place where there wouldn't be townspeople gawking at her as if she had two heads. Were people always so nosey in small towns? One of her favorite things about Boston was that it was easy for her to fade into the crowd and go completely unnoticed.

Emma couldn't believe how big her room was. She almost felt as if she was in a studio apartment. Along with the bed there was a rather spacious seating area with two love seats and a chair made of wicker. Granny must have loved floral designs because she had that same theme throughout the entire bed and breakfast. Emma wanted to ask Granny if she had ever counted the number of flowers on the wallpaper but she bit her tongue, deciding that may not give her the best first impression.

It didn't take long for Emma to unpack her necessities. She left most of her belongings in her bug aside from her toiletries, and a few outfits which included her favorite red leather jacket. She wouldn't be here very long, a week at the most, so there was no use getting too comfortable.

Fatigue set in as soon as Emma took a seat on the bed to relax for a moment. What time was it anyway? She glanced at the alarm clock beside the bed and saw that it was only a few minutes till eleven. She'd been awake for eight hours already. Had this been any other Saturday she would still be in bed, listening to Lily go on about her clubbing adventures the night before.

Just the thought of Lily made Emma choke up, but she quickly forced her best friend out of her mind. She didn't have time to sulk. There was no telling how long those meetings could last on a Saturday so she wanted to get to Town Hall as soon as possible.

Since she was still in the same clothes she'd driven in all morning, Emma wanted to put on something a little more presentable. She threw on a white tank top and pulled her red jacket over top of that. She then changed into a different pair of jeans before lacing up her brown boots. She loved this outfit and was thankful it was still cool enough in Maine to get away with it. Now that her ensemble was complete, she grabbed her cell phone and headed out of her temporary home.

* * *

Regina dreaded the Saturday Town Hall meetings. She often thought of canceling them but there was no other time with all of the other things on the mayoral agenda. Was it not enough that she had to deal with these imbeciles Monday through Friday? Her earlier encounter with Mary Margaret put her in an even worse mood, so the council members had better be on time and prepared if they didn't want to incur her wrath.

* * *

The mayor was sitting in her office in between meetings when her phone started to buzz. She looked at her caller ID to see it was the sheriff.

"This better be important, Sheriff Graham." Regina did nothing to hide the annoyance in her tone.

Graham was used to Regina being irritated but it still made him feel uneasy. He swallowed before speaking, hoping that his voice wouldn't give away his nervousness. "We've got a problem down at the station, Madame Mayor. Would you mind coming down here for a moment?"

"Honestly, Graham, I don't know why I pay you. I could give Archie's dog, Pongo, your salary and he would be just as competent. I'll let the council know they can get started on their next meeting without me since you clearly can't take care of anything on your own."

* * *

Regina pushed the door open to the sheriff's office with more force than needed. "What's so important that you felt it was necessary to interrupt my day?"

Graham was now questioning whether or not calling the mayor was a good idea. Regina may have been the only person capable of intimidating an armed officer of the law. "I'm sorry Mayor Mills, but the computer stopped working again."

Regina sucked in her breath and grinded her teeth together. "That's why you called me down here? Please tell me why this is so urgent. And did I somehow give you the impression that my occupation is in the field of computer repair?"

"Well no ma'am, but you control the budget so I need your approval before someone fix it."

"And this couldn't wait until Monday?" Regina asked, still irritated.

"I need the computer to log all of the reports that come into the station. I was hoping you could do this as a favor." The look on Regina's face told Graham that his last statement was a bad idea.

"Sheriff, I hope you don't think that our brief fling entitles you to any sort of special treatment."

Regina and Graham had had a few late night encounters a while back. Regina liked to be discreet, being that she was the most prominent person in Storybrooke, so Graham would sneak into her mansion once the rest of the town was asleep. The mayor didn't mind having a warm body in her bed. She figured that the town's most eligible bachelor was the best choice.

Most women in Storybrooke found Graham irresistible. He had a charming Irish accent, and he fit the tall, dark and handsome description to a tee. At first he was flattered when Regina expressed interest in him. But it didn't take long for him to realize that she was just using him to ease her loneliness. He quickly grew tired of the empty feeling he had every time he was with her so he ended things. The rejection infuriated Regina, but even she couldn't deny that there was nothing fulfilling about her relationship with Graham.

"Of course not, Mayor Mills. I'm sorry if I bothered you. I know how you don't like for me to get behind on my paperwork. I can wait until Monday if you'd like." Now it was the sheriff who was irritated but was careful not to show it.

"I might as well sign off on the approval since I'm already here. But next time, please use better judgment when you're considering pulling me away from my monthly council meetings." Regina signed the form and was out the door before Graham could thank her.

* * *

Emma was relieved when she arrived at Town Hall and found that the doors were unlocked. She quickly found the receptionist and gave her a general description of what she was looking for. She assumed she would be sitting at a computer for hours, searching for articles that might lead her to her rescuer. Instead, all she had to do was check out the documents and articles for the period of time she needed and was told to have them back by the following Friday.

Emma couldn't have planned this any better herself. Now she could sort through everything in the privacy of her room. Maybe this mission of hers would be easier than she thought. She was starting to see the benefit of being in such a small town. She thanked the receptionist before taking the file to go back to Granny's.

Just as she walked outside, a woman with shoulder-length brown hair wearing a business suit was making her way into Town Hall. She was so focused on the Blackberry in her hand that she didn't see Emma and nearly ran her over. Emma jumped out of the way just in time and was sure to make her presence known. "Hey, watch it lady!"

"Excuse me? Is that any way to address your mayor?" Regina questioned without even looking up from the email she was reading on her phone.

It dawned on Emma that this was the woman Ruby was referring to earlier. But Emma didn't care who she was. "You might be this town's mayor, but you're definitely not mine. Is that any way to treat a guest in your town?"

Regina slowly turned on her heels to face the blonde. She had to catch her breath when she saw the woman standing before her, whom she'd never seen before. She immediately tensed up and had a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. Her unexpected reaction to seeing this stranger baffled her. Was she nervous? No that was impossible. Nobody made the mayor nervous. She tried to compose herself and with a little less sting in her voice said, "Please accept my apology. I was in a hurry and didn't see you. I'm sure understand how hectic my job can be."

"Yeah sure. It's whatever."

"I hope you enjoy your stay in Storybrooke, Ms…"

"Swan. Emma Swan." The blonde interjected.

"Very well, Ms. Swan. Please excuse me, as I'm already running late to an important meeting." Regina then disappeared through the red door and into Town Hall.

Emma couldn't believe what the hell had just happened. Something was seriously wrong with that woman. Oh well. She didn't have time to worry about some crazy mayor. She secured the file under her arm and began the walk back to the B&amp;B.

* * *

Regina was used to having long days, but this one was particularly exhausting. She felt a sense of relief when she finally got into her black Mercedes after the last meeting had ended. She really had to figure out a way to schedule these council meetings during the week.

As she was driving home, her mind wandered unintentionally to the blonde she met earlier in the day. Just the thought of Emma had Regina feeling frazzled. Then the most terrifying thought crossed her mind. Was she feeling some sort of attraction to this stranger? She didn't want to take the chance of finding out. Thanks to her mother, she had buried those kinds of thoughts years ago.

Regina may not have been able to pinpoint her feelings just yet, but there was one thing she was certain of. She had to get Emma Swan out of Storybrooke. And fast.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hi guys! This update took a little longer than I anticipated, but the past week has been a little crazy! I'm having so much fun writing this story and I still can't believe all of the positive comments I've received. I can't say enough how much it means to me! I may have done something slightly evil in this chapter so I hope you don't get too upset with me ;)**

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Chapter Four

Regina laid in bed, staring at the ceiling. She couldn't sleep. The image of long blonde hair and a bright red leather jacket kept creeping into her mind. This was insane. Regina Mills did not lose sleep over anyone, and especially not some stranger. But here she was, wide awake, unable to escape these thoughts of Emma Swan.

Regina hated surprises. Even though the predictability of her life seemed a bit mundane at times, she took comfort in knowing what to expect day after day. Damn this Miss Swan for interrupting her routine.

Deep down she knew her detest for Emma was about much more than the fact that the blonde caused a delay in getting to a meeting. She reminded Regina of feelings that she'd buried years ago, and a secret that she'd kept for so long, that even she forgot about it at times.

About a year after the initial confrontation with Cora, Regina tried talking to her once more about her feelings for women. She thought that maybe since some time had passed she would be able to reason with her mother. But there was no reasoning with Cora Mills. She convinced Regina that should she choose such an alternative lifestyle, it would interfere with her dream of someday becoming a politician. The public would never accept her. Besides, love was weakness. That was the mantra that Cora drilled into Regina's head until she had no choice but to believe it. So she continued to keep the truth hidden, and there was no way she was about to let anyone uncover it now just because her hormones were raging like some lustful teenager.

She tried everything she could think of to fall asleep. Reading. Hot tea. She even resorted to pouring herself a glass of her homemade apple cider to take the edge off. Nothing was working though.

After her failed attempts at sleep and a few too many ciders, the mayor began plotting different ways to force Emma out of Storybrooke. But that wasn't realistic. Driving what appeared to be a harmless stranger to leave town would make people wonder about Regina's motives. No. She would just have to deal with it. Surely Emma couldn't be staying for too much longer. What was she doing in Storybrooke anyways? Before she was able to give it anymore thought, Regina finally drifted off to sleep.

* * *

_Regina sat at her desk, reviewing a proposal for a new park, when there was a knock on her office door. She had no idea who it could be, but she was already annoyed by the interruption. She opened the door and nearly gasped when she saw who was standing before her._

_"__Miss Swan, what on earth are you doing here?"_

_Emma cocked her head to the side and gave the brunette a half smile. "I think there are some things we need to discuss Madame Mayor."_

_"__Then you'll need to schedule an appointment. I'm in the middle of something and I'm sure that whatever it is, can wait." Regina did not want to let on how intrigued she was to know the reason for this surprise visit._

_"__I just need five minutes. Please?" Emma looked at Regina with puppy dog eyes, hoping the mayor would give in._

_Regina tried to remain expressionless, despite her ever-growing curiosity. "Fine, Miss Swan. But make it quick. As I said, I'm extremely busy and I don't have time for nonsense."_

_"__You're not fooling me, ya know?" _

_Curiosity turned to confusion. "Excuse me? Please elaborate, dear."_

_"__You want me, Madame Mayor. You practically undressed me with your eyes when we met." Emma made the statement with such ease, as if she was talking about the weather._

_"__That's incredibly inappropriate, and you're crossing the line Miss Swan." Regina clenched her teeth together, as she always did when she was angry. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Who the hell did this woman think she was?_

_"__What's funny is that you still haven't denied it." Now Emma was looking amused._

_"__This conversation is over. You need to leave. Right now."_

_The anger in Regina's voice didn't seem to faze Emma at all. "Are you sure that's what you really want, Mayor Mills?"_

_Regina's hesitance to answer the question was all Emma needed to make her way towards the brunette. "Miss Swan what are you…" But before Regina could finish her sentence, the blonde's lips were pressing hard into her own. She instinctually kissed Emma back, wrapping one arm around her neck and weaving her other hand through golden locks. So this is what she'd been missing her entire life._

_Emma slowly pulled her lips away from Regina's but not before taking her top lip in between her teeth. Regina moaned and grabbed Emma's head, kissing her again fiercely, and this time slipping her tongue into the other woman's mouth. Emma couldn't help but smile as she reciprocated Regina's action by slowly caressing Regina's tongue with her own. _

_Emma placed both hands just below Regina's ass and lifted her onto the desk, strategically positioning herself in between the sexiest legs she'd ever seen. Emma kissed every inch of Regina's neck, causing the sultry brunette to breathe heavily into her ear. This fueled Emma's desire even more. She slowly ran her fingers up the inside of Regina's leg until she was just inches away from where Regina wanted Emma to touch the most. In between moans she begged, "Emma please, don't stop…."_

Regina's eyes shot open and she was quickly sitting up straight in her bed. It was just a dream. What scared her the most was that she wasn't sure if what she felt was relief or disappointment.

There was no way she'd be able to go back to sleep after that. She glanced outside and saw the sun was starting to peek over the horizon. Might as well get the day started, she thought. She had some gardening to do now that it was starting to warm up, but first, she wanted breakfast from Granny's.

The prior day started off badly and Regina was determined to not have a repeat of that. Maybe if she adhered to her usual Sunday routine then everything would go back to normal and she could forget all about Emma Swan.

* * *

Emma assumed that it would take her days to sort through all the articles and piece together any relevant clues. She had a pretty good idea of how small Storybrooke was, but she still thought she was leading herself on a wild goose chase. There was no way this boy, who would now be a man, would still be in the area. And what if he wasn't even from here to begin with? It couldn't hurt to look, Emma thought. That's why she came to Maine after all.

No more than a couple hours had passed when Emma stumbled upon a newspaper article that caught her eye. There, on the front page of the Storybrooke Daily Mirror, was the same picture as the one she saw a few years ago after finding a similar article when she tried looking for her parents. The headline read, "Young Boy Rescues Abandoned Baby". She couldn't believe it. This was it. Right before her eyes was exactly what she came here looking for.

The article wasn't very long, but the most important details were there. The writer referred to Emma as a "miracle baby" and went on about how extraordinary it was that the boy was able to hear her cries over the passing cars and blaring rock music that was playing on the speakers outside of the diner. Just below the story was a picture of a boy and an older man with the caption, "August Booth and father Marco".

In any normal city all of these articles would have been archived and made available on the internet. Not in Storybrooke though. Emma was surprised anyone here had even heard of the internet, or computers for that matter. The lack of technology didn't cause any sort of hindrance so she couldn't complain.

She made a plan to go to Granny's first thing in the morning to ask Ruby if she'd ever heard of August Booth. She felt slightly more comfortable divulging some of her past to the waitress who had been so helpful to her earlier in the day. Emma wanted answers now, but the diner wasn't even open. She needed to rest anyways. She cleared everything off the bed, and her eyes had barely closed before she was fast asleep.

* * *

Emma awoke to the sound of her alarm blaring. This may have been the first time in years that she didn't hit the snooze button. She was convinced that the extra ten minutes of sleep made all the difference, but she was too anxious to talk to Ruby to waste any more time sleeping.

In no time, she had showered and brushed her teeth. Being the only guest at the bed and breakfast definitely had its advantages, and not having to share a bathroom with strangers was one of them. She grabbed a pair of dark blue skinny jeans that were almost exactly like the ones she wore the day before. She opted for the brown leather jacket instead of the red to wear over her black fitted V-neck shirt. She grabbed the newspaper article and practically ran out of the door to her room and down the stairs to make it to Granny's as quickly as possible.

* * *

"Hey Emma, nice to see you again." Ruby said with a yawn. Emma could tell by Ruby's appearance that she must have had a long night out. The makeup she was wearing was clearly left over from the night before, and she had dark circles under her eyes. Lily had that same look most Saturday and Sunday mornings.

There was only one other person in the diner. The woman was facing away from the door and was sitting in the same booth that Emma had sat in the morning before, so she opted to sit at the bar. It would be easier to talk to Ruby from there anyway.

"Ruby, I need your help with something. Do you mind?" It was strange for Emma to ask anyone for help with anything, especially someone who she didn't really know. She didn't see any other option though.

"I'm usually not much help to anyone but I can try. What's up?"

The blonde placed the article in front of Ruby and asked, "Have you heard anything about this?"

The waitress stared for a moment, skimming through the words on the paper. "Umm I don't think so. I was still a baby when this happened. What's so important about it?"

Here goes nothing, Emma thought. "I was that baby. This is actually why I came to Storybrooke. I'm trying to find the man who saved my life. He was just a little boy at the time. His name is August Booth. Maybe you've heard of him?"

* * *

Regina was relieved to find that the diner was completely empty, aside from the waitress of course. She usually sat at one of the barstools but instead she chose the booth furthest away from the door just in case anyone else came in. This was already better than the previous morning. She would eat a quiet breakfast and then enjoy the rest of her Sunday.

Only minutes after she sat down she heard someone else walk in. She didn't even turn to see who it was, but she figured it out as soon as Ruby greeted the guest.

"Hey Emma, nice to see you again." Regina immediately tensed up when she heard Ruby say the blonde's name. This couldn't be happening. Stay calm, she told herself. Hopefully Emma wouldn't stay long.

The mayor didn't normally eavesdrop on other peoples' conversations. She simply didn't care enough. But she was trying to listen very intently to what Emma and Ruby were talking about. Her ears perked up when she heard Emma say, "His name is August Booth. Have you heard of him?"

Regina was only seven when the mystery baby was found, but she still remembered hearing about it. It was probably the most interesting thing to ever happen in Storybrooke. She also recalled getting incredibly annoyed by all the attention August got because of it at school. They were in the same grade so it was hard to ignore. It wasn't as if he won the Nobel Peace Prize. He was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. Any decent human being would have done the same thing.

Even though she hadn't seen August in quite some time, it just so happened that his father Marco regularly attended the community town hall meetings so she was even more familiar with him than most of the residents in Storybrooke. If this was why Emma came to town then the sooner she found August, the sooner she would leave. And then Regina's life could get back to normal.

She didn't even wait for Ruby to respond to Emma's question. She turned in her seat, startling the other two women who had forgotten someone else was in the diner. "Hello again, Miss Swan. I couldn't help but overhear that you're looking for August. His father, Marco, is the town's carpenter and I believe I may have one of his business cards in my purse if you'd like to contact him."

Regina could tell by the look on both faces staring back at her that she was the last person they expected help from. There was no doubt that she hadn't made the best first impression on Emma, and she never spoke to Ruby more than she absolutely had to.

"You want to help me?" Emma replied cautiously.

"Of course, dear. His address is on the business card. He works out of his garage much of the time so if he doesn't answer the front door then you can most likely find him there." Regina was now walking toward Emma, with her arm extended to hand her the card.

Emma was hesitant at first but took Marco's card from Regina. She couldn't read the brunette's facial expression to know whether or not her effort to help was sincere. It didn't matter cause she was going to take advantage of the gesture either way. "Thanks. This is pretty awesome of you." She said, almost in a whisper.

"You're very welcome. I imagine you have a job that you need to get back to so I'd hate for you to be stuck in our little town any longer than necessary."

"No job actually. I just graduated from college on Friday."

"Congratulations, Miss Swan. And what sort of degree did you graduate with, if I may ask?" Regina wasn't sure why she asked Emma that question. She was positive the younger woman couldn't care less about continuing the conversation with her. She was also never one for small talk but the words were already coming out of her mouth before she could stop herself from speaking.

Emma was in disbelief that this was the same woman who was so rude to her yesterday. Maybe she wasn't as awful as Ruby said she was. "Sure you can ask. I got my degree in criminal justice. Not sure what I wanna do with it yet."

"Well I wish you the best of luck in figuring that out. I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunities awaiting you when you get back to wherever you're visiting from." Unlike her earlier question, this statement was deliberate. Regina wanted to know just how far away from Storybrooke Emma would soon be.

"I'm from Boston. But I don't think I'm going back there. I might just pick a spot on the map and go there." The discomfort Emma felt just a few minutes ago by the mayor's presence had diminished.

"Sounds like you have quite the journey ahead of you, Miss Swan. I'd love to stay and chat with you some more but I must be going."

"No it's cool. I should probably head to Marco's soon. Hopefully I'll see ya around before I leave, Mayor Mills." Was this Emma's way of saying that she actually wanted to see her again? Regina felt the sudden flutter of butterflies in her stomach once again.

The rehearsed smile turned to a playful smirk that even the usually oblivious Emma, thought seemed a bit flirtatious. "Maybe you will, Miss Swan."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hi again! I just want to welcome all the new followers to the story. Every single one of you are so amazing, and you all make writing this even more exciting. This chapter was necessary to set up the rest of the story, but you'll find that after this things will start to progress much more quickly. I'll confess that I always get a bit nervous before posting a new chapter because I want to make it as enjoyable for you as possible so I hope that you like it. As always, your reviews are welcome :)**

* * *

Chapter Five

According to Ruby, Marco's house wasn't too far from the diner. So far everywhere Emma had gone was within walking distance. It was definitely something she could get used to. Driving in Boston was a nightmare, and the subway wasn't always reliable. She also enjoyed breathing in the fresh air that wasn't polluted by the big city smog.

Emma stared down at the business card she was holding for several minutes. She began to worry that she may be intruding. Just because she wanted to meet the people responsible for saving her life doesn't mean that they would want to meet her. She had to try though. What's the worst that could happen? Maybe she'd get the door slammed in her face, but that was something she could get over. And she would still have a lot more answers than just a day ago when she first arrived in Storybrooke.

Emma knocked on Marco's front door three times. She wasn't surprised when there was no answer since Regina told her that was likely to happen. She felt a little odd about barging into a stranger's garage and was hoping she wouldn't be interrupting the man if he was hard at work.

Marco was exactly where Regina said he would be. Had it not been for that, Emma would've thought she was at the wrong person's house. Marco was almost completely bald with a gray mustache and goatee. He looked much older than Emma expected, considering he was the father of someone who was still in his twenties.

It appeared that he was trying to repair some type of old wooden clock. He was so focused on it that he didn't notice her standing just outside of the garage. She tapped lightly on the sidewall, hoping that it would get the man's attention without alarming him. He looked up immediately.

"Can I help you?" Marco asked in what sounded to Emma like an Italian accent. He reminded her of an owner of a restaurant she used to frequent in Boston's North End. They made the best ravioli she'd ever eaten. It only took a moment of looking at him for the blonde to see that there was a kindness in his eyes to go along with his gentle demeanor.

Emma was feeling uncharacteristically shy. She pretty much told off the mayor the day before but now she was having trouble asking for someone's name. She managed to get the words out though. "Hi. Are you Marco?"

"That's me. What can I do for you?"

"My name is Emma Swan. This might seem crazy, and I'm sorry if I'm intruding in any way, but I read in an old newspaper article that you and your son found a baby on the side of the road. And well, I was that baby. And I just wanted to tell you both thank you for saving my life. Maybe I should go. Should I go?" She wanted to turn around and walk in the other direction. She was usually very reserved but never lacked confidence. For some reason now though, she was barely able to stop herself from rambling.

Marco stared very intently Emma. Then suddenly he walked toward the blonde and hugged her. Emma was so caught off guard by it that it took her a moment to realize that perhaps she should hug him back.

"I can't believe this. You were such a tiny little thing when my boy found you. I wish August could be here to meet you. He's the one who found you, you know" He was beaming with pride, as if finding Emma was his greatest accomplishment. It probably was. Not many people have the opportunity to save someone's life.

"It's really nice to meet you, sir. I owe you and your son my life. I was really hoping I could thank him too, but I thought I heard you say he's not here. I don't wanna pry so you don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to." She tried hard this time not to go on talking forever.

"I'm so sorry Emma but he's not here. He went to Thailand. He won't be back till next month. You'll still be in Storybrooke, yes?" Marco looked so excited at the thought of August being able to meet Emma that she felt badly about having to tell him she'd be leaving in a few days.

"I wish I could stay. I'm only here till the end of the week though. The mayor mentioned she hadn't seen your son in a while so I wrote him a thank you note just in case he wasn't here. Would you mind giving it to him when he gets back home?" She was disappointed that she wouldn't be able to thank August personally but this was still much more than she ever expected.

"Of course I'll give it to him Emma. And you come back sometime, ok?" Emma could read people really well, and she knew Marco wasn't saying this just to be nice. He genuinely meant it when he told she was welcome to come back. She wasn't sure how to answer the question since she had no clue whether or not she would ever be back in Storybrooke. It was a bit overwhelming but there was no way she was going to get emotional in front of anyone.

"I don't want to keep you from your work. I just had to meet you. I know I'll never be able to repay either of you for what you did, but I hope that me saying thank you is a start." Emma's eyes were starting to water slightly. She wanted to leave before she started crying in this stranger's garage.

The smile on Marco's face still hadn't faded. He leaned in to give the blonde another hug. "You don't owe us anything. You just come visit when you can." Emma nodded and then said goodbye before making her way back down the driveway toward the street.

* * *

_What now?_ Emma wondered as she sat in one of the chairs in her room. It was surreal to think about everything that had happened in less than two days. She thought that her search would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack, and she doubted that she would find any answers at all. Her life had changed in what seemed like the blink of an eye.

What the hell was she supposed to do in this town for the next 5 days? She contemplated ending her trip early and going back to Boston, but there was something about being in Storybrooke that made Emma feel at ease. She was the last person who thought she could ever enjoy life in a small town but she was starting to think that maybe her judgements were wrong.

She pulled herself out of her daydream. Everyone here already had their role and Emma couldn't fit into that. She couldn't continue on forever without a job, and she doubted there was a high demand here for someone with her degree. Thinking about it all was becoming too much so she decided she'd go on a walk. There were still some parts of Storybrooke she hadn't seen so it couldn't hurt to take a look, especially if she wouldn't be staying the full week as originally anticipated.

* * *

Emma wandered down Main Street, going in and out of some of the shops. She passed the clock tower, which she realized was also a library. She would've taken a look inside, but it was closed on Sunday's. There was a pawn shop owned by a man named Mr. Gold. She saw some pretty cool things in the shop but thought that Mr. Gold himself was a little creepy. He stared at the blonde with an odd smile and watched her as she walked around the shop. Emma could feel his eyes on her so she thanked him for letting her look around and made her way out of the store.

She walked past the town's ice cream parlor, Any Given Sundae. Emma would've been in there in a heartbeat on a hot day, but she wanted to continue exploring. In a weird way Storybrooke reminded her a little of Boston. There was so much history in Boston, and parts of the city seemed to be stuck in time. That's exactly how Storybrooke was. Now that she finally had some time to really take everything in, Emma was starting to appreciate the idea that not much ever changed here. Maybe it was boring on occasion, but it was stable. And stability was something that she wanted more than just about anything. Hopefully she'd find that one day.

It didn't take long to see everything there was to see on Main Street. A little further down the road she made a turn into a more residential area. Mifflin Street. Emma didn't think it would be possible to get lost here but she made a mental note of the street name just in case. Right away she could tell that all of the houses here were nice. The lawns were perfectly manicured, and somehow the grass in everyone's yard was bright green despite the harsh winter all of New England had just experienced.

As she came upon the largest home on the block, Emma noticed there was someone out front clipping stray branches off of the hedges. The hedges extended all the way from one side of the front yard to the other, and were tall enough to keep anyone from being able to peek over them. The only view of the house was through the iron gate that opened up to the walkway leading to the front door of the mansion. Emma thought she recognized the woman she was nearing but had to squint her eyes just to be sure.

"I would've never expected the mayor was one to do her own yardwork." Emma said, trying to stifle a chuckle. Regina may have been the only person in existence who could still embody perfection while doing physical labor.

The blonde's voice was apparently now ingrained in Regina's mind because she knew exactly whose mouth the smart ass comment was coming from without even turning to look. "You don't know anything about me, Miss Swan."

This was the brunette's third encounter with Emma and it was no less nerve-wracking. It was both exciting and terrifying for Regina to be in such close proximity to the other woman. She'd never had such conflicting emotions in her life. One minute she was doing everything possible to get Emma to leave Storybrooke, and the next she was hoping their paths would collide again.

"Touché. I just assumed that you'd have people doing it for you. You know, cause you're so busy being the mayor and all." Emma was totally unaware of the effect she was having on Regina. There was no way she'd believe that a mayor, who also happened to be drop dead gorgeous, would ever be interested in her. But Emma would be lying if she said she wasn't attracted to her. Anyone with halfway decent vision would be. She was also curious to know what was beneath the woman's tough exterior. She decided that was one mystery she'd have to let go unsolved.

"I enjoy working in the yard. Being the mayor can be very demanding, as I'm sure you can imagine. Gardening is quite the stress reliever, as well as cooking." Regina still hadn't looked directly at Emma. She was afraid she wouldn't be able to maintain her poker face once she gazed into those blue-green eyes.

"Oh you cook too? You're pretty much Wonder Woman then." It was hard to tell, but Emma thought she detected a small smile and maybe even a blush on Regina's face.

Regina's face felt hot so she knew she'd better change the subject. "What brought you here, Miss Swan? If you're still looking for Marco's then I must tell you that you need to work on improving your sense of direction."

With a laugh Emma said, "Good one Mayor Mills. I actually found Marco already, and I talked to him for a little bit. I didn't wanna overstay my welcome though so I've been checking out your town. I didn't know I'd end up running into you, but I'm glad that I did."

This caused Regina to stop what she was doing and look at Emma for the first time since their conversation began. "Is that so, dear?" She tried to sound nonchalant.

"Yeah. It was pretty cool of you to help me. I know it might not seem like a big deal but being able to tell Marco 'thank you' meant a lot. So yeah. Thanks."

"There's really no need to thank me. It was my pleasure, really. Now that you got what you came here for, does this mean you'll be leaving Storybrooke?" Regina held her breath waiting for Emma's answer.

"I've spent one night here and you're trying to get rid of me already?" Emma wasn't actually offended but the seriousness of the brunette made her an easy target to be messed with.

"No, I'm sorry. I assure you that's not what I meant." Since when did Regina Mills apologize to anyone?

The blonde just laughed, knowing she'd succeeded in her plan to freak the mayor out a little. "I'm just messing with you. But to answer your question, yes I'm leaving tomorrow. I was gonna stay till the end of the week but I'm not really sure what I would do here until then."

Regina should've been ecstatic. She's the one who helped to speed up Emma's departure. But hearing her say she was leaving made her instantly regret it. Her feelings still scared her just as much as they had earlier. But now she was even more afraid that she may never see this woman again. All it took was one day for Emma Swan to turn Regina's world upside down. She would be out of her life as quickly as she'd come into it. _This is all my fault_. Regina told herself. Just then it was like a light bulb went off in her head. She had an idea.

"I have a proposition for you, Miss Swan. You mentioned before that you earned your degree in the field of criminal justice. It just so happens that we have an opening for the deputy position. Provided that you can show proof of your degree, the job is yours if you'd like it." Regina was well aware of how insane this was, but she couldn't take back the offer now.

Emma thought she must've heard wrong. Did the hard ass mayor who supposedly terrorized everyone in town just offer her a job? She wasn't sure what to say or how to feel. "That's… Wow. Umm. I'm kinda in shock right to be honest. I'm not even sure I'm qualified. Is it okay if I sleep on it and let you know tomorrow?"

"Of course, dear. Take your time. I don't want you to feel as though you have to accept the job. However, I have faith that you're more qualified than you may think. Just stop by office once you've decided and my secretary will let you in." Regina was surprised and relieved that Emma hadn't immediately said no.

"I'll come by either way. See you tomorrow then Madame Mayor."

"Yes. Tomorrow, Miss Swan."

* * *

After five rings Emma was certain that Lily wasn't going to answer the phone, but just as she was about to hang up she heard a click and knew her best friend was on the line.

"Emma! It feels like I haven't talked to you in forever!" Lily must have had to run to the phone cause she sounded out of breath.

Emma rolled her eyes at the girl's exaggeration. "I just saw you yesterday morning, Lil."

"I know but that is the longest we've gone without talking in four years. So excuse me for missing my friend." She tried to act like her feelings were hurt but Emma knew better.

"Calm down, I miss you too. I just wanted to tell you that I'm okay and that I talked to the dude's dad who found me."

"Em that's fucking awesome! How the hell did that happen in like a day?!" Lily was never one to lack enthusiasm and this was no exception.

"It was super easy. I found an article with the kid's name. Then the mayor gave me his dad's address. I found him, thanked him, and he told me to come back and visit when his son is in town so I can meet him too. And get this Lil. I was offered a job as the freaking deputy. I swear this place isn't real life." Emma didn't know how else to explain Storybrooke cause it was truly unlike any place that either Emma or Lily had ever been to.

"What the hell? It's like your life changed literally overnight! So are you gonna take the job?"

Emma still didn't know what she wanted to do. "I don't know if I should. Everything is happening so fast and I'm not used to this. This isn't my life. Things don't ever happen this easily. It's too easy, Lil. How am I supposed to trust it?"

Lily knew that Emma had a point, but she didn't want to see her best friend throw away this opportunity. It was her chance to finally feel like she belonged somewhere. "Take the job, Em. If it doesn't work out then you can come back to Boston or go somewhere else. You can't live your entire life being scared though. Good things can happen. And nobody deserves it more than you."

Emma still wrestled back and forth for a few moments, thinking about what she should do. She liked Storybrooke. The slower pace of life would be something she'd have to get used to but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Not having anywhere to live could pose a problem, although she was sure she'd have the bed and breakfast to herself for as long as she needed to stay there.

"Emma, you still there?" The blonde didn't realize how long she'd been silent.

"Sorry I'm still here. Just got lost in my thoughts for a sec."

"Okay so what are you gonna do?" Now Lily sounded impatient, waiting for Emma's decision.

"You're now talking to the deputy and newest resident of Storybrooke, Maine."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: This past week has been crazy due to it being my birthday week, so I'm happy I was able to get this chapter completed. The next month is going to be incredibly hectic but I promise I will write every chance I get, especially the story is starting to get much more interesting ;) As always, thank you for the reviews, follows, and favorites. **

**If any of you want to follow me on Twitter feel free kails_13 or on Tumblr at RegalKails :)**

* * *

Chapter Six

It didn't take long for Emma to settle into her new life in Storybrooke. She was thoroughly enjoying the newfound comfort of small-town life and was fitting in much better than she had hoped. She still couldn't believe the sudden turn of events and how drastically her life changed in just a matter of days.

Even when accepting the deputy position, Emma wasn't sure how that would pan out. She found the job to be rather easy though. Storybrooke operated on its own set of rules that were different from what she was used to. She was thankful for that since she didn't have to endure going through police academy. She'd heard it could be quite grueling. Not that she wasn't physically capable of doing it. All it would take is one look at her athletic physique for anyone to know that she was in better shape than most.

Emma informed the mayor of her decision to take the job the day after it was offered to her. She was surprised by how delighted Regina seemed. She thought that the older woman was just being friendly, or that she possibly even helped her out of pity. But the look in the mayor's eyes when she learned Emma would be a more permanent fixture in Storybrooke had the blonde rethinking her initial assumption. It would be a couple of weeks before she would see the darker side of Regina that appeared when they first met outside of Town Hall.

Regina wanted Emma to get started right away with the new job. Perhaps she was afraid that Emma would change her mind if she had more time to think about it. She escorted her to the station on her first morning of work. It was the smallest police station she'd ever seen. There was a small office enclosed by glass, a single interrogation room, and only two jail cells, both of which were empty. The mayor began by introducing Emma to Sheriff Graham. Regina could tell right away that Graham was attracted to the young blonde, and she felt an instant pang of jealousy at the thought of Emma also being attracted to him, or anyone else for that matter.

Emma learned the ins and outs of her new job rather quickly. There wasn't really much to learn if she was being honest with herself. She accompanied Graham some of the time while he was out on patrol, but they never came across anything exciting. Emma was usually the one to stay at the station just in case anyone called with a problem. But aside from the occasional case of public intoxication or a stray dog, the phone lines were usually silent. The blonde often wondered why a deputy was even needed but she certainly wasn't complaining.

She could tell Graham was happy about having her around cause it meant he could get her to do all of the tedious paperwork. She didn't mind since part of completing the paperwork was delivering it to the mayor's office, and Emma was becoming quite fond of her run-ins with Regina. They had developed a more flirtatious banter as the days passed, and Emma felt privileged that she was the one person who got to witness the mayor being somewhat of a normal person.

To Emma's surprise, she became rather content with staying at the bed and breakfast. It was almost like having a big house to herself. Since there were no other guests, Granny let her use the kitchen to store her groceries and cook, even though heating something up in the microwave couldn't really be classified as cooking. Granny was also nice enough to give her a discounted rate since she knew Emma may need to stay for an extended period of time till she found a place to live. There wasn't exactly an abundance of homes or apartments for rent in Storybrooke. Emma doubted that anyone who lived here had ever moved.

Going to Granny's Diner became a daily ritual for Emma. She went there as much for the food as she did for Ruby's company. The waitress was the only real friend Emma had made. While they appeared to be very different outwardly, Emma found the brunette's honesty and matter-of-face attitude to be quite similar to her own. And it was Ruby who mentioned that her other friend Mary Margaret was looking for a roommate and arranged a meeting between the two women.

* * *

Emma was a little nervous. The only roommate she'd ever had was Lily and they had already known each other prior to living together. She would essentially be moving in with a total stranger if Mary Margaret agreed to rent the room out to her. She knew she couldn't live at the bed and breakfast forever though so she was willing to make the most of it. She heard the bell on the diner door ring, signaling that someone walked in and she could tell when Ruby looked at her that it was her potential new roommate who'd just entered. Emma stood to greet the pixie-haired brunette who was walking towards her.

"Hi, you must be Mary Margaret. I'm Emma Swan."

"It's so nice to meet you, Emma. Ruby has told me a lot about you. All good things of course." Mary Margaret sat on the stool next to where Emma had been sitting so the blonde took that as her cue that she could sit back down as well.

The warmth of the other woman's smile put Emma at ease right away. She knew from what Ruby had told her that Mary Margaret didn't have children. She was only about six years older than Emma, but she still had a very motherly vibe to her. Maybe it was because she was a teacher, Emma thought. The long skirt and cardigan sweater also made her seem more mature than someone in their twenties would typically seem. But then again, Mary Margaret was the same age as Regina and the mayor certainly didn't not seem as young as she was. Maybe it was something in the water here. She didn't have time to think about that now. "I'm sure you have some questions for me so feel free to ask anything."

Mary Margaret just stared at Emma for a moment, pondering what she should ask. "This might sound a little crazy, but I don't really have any questions. I trust Ruby and if she says you're a good person then that's enough for me. Do you have anything that you would like to ask me?"

Emma thought this would be a much more formal process so she had a couple of questions already prepared. "Does your apartment have two bedrooms? I just want to know where I would be staying, and to make sure I wouldn't be in your way."

"That's an understandable question. I have a loft style apartment. My bed is actually downstairs, just off of the kitchen. It's basically one big open room that connects the kitchen to the living area and then the alcove where I sleep and where my closet is. Your room would be upstairs so you would have plenty of privacy. And I don't want you to feel like you're just renting a room. The common areas would be as much yours as they are mine."

This all sounded perfect to Emma. She knew it was a bit impulsive, but she didn't want to pass up the opportunity. "I'll take it. When would you like me to move in?"

Mary Margaret was so excited that she hugged the blonde, almost knocking her off of her seat. "Oh my gosh, I'm sorry! I'm just happy that you said yes. It gets so lonely living by myself, and I'm sure we'll be great friends! You can move your stuff in anytime. I'll have an extra key made for you today. Don't worry about any deposits. It'll just be half a month's rent since we're already in the middle of May."

"Sounds great! I'll move my stuff in Saturday morning. It's not much so it won't take long."

Both women turned to face the kitchen when they heard Ruby squealing. She'd be listening to the whole conversation and was already planning a multitude of girls' night activities for the three of them.

* * *

Emma walked into work Monday morning, relaxed and ready to start the week. It took her almost no time to move her stuff into Mary Margaret's apartment and was able to organize everything by mid-afternoon that Saturday. She was relieved to find that the room was already furnished, especially since the thought that she may need to buy a bed hadn't crossed her mind. Her new roommate made her an amazing home cooked meal and the two chatted for most of the evening. The girl who'd always thought of herself as an orphan finally had a place she could call "home".

Graham was out patrolling the town one morning so Emma got started on some paperwork. She was so focused on what she was doing that she didn't hear the door to the station open. It was the sound of heels clicking on the tile that alerted her to the fact that she was no longer alone.

"Good morning, Deputy Swan." Emma was pleasantly surprised when she heard Regina's voice but was unsure why the woman was paying her a visit.

"Good morning, Madame Mayor. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" She gave Regina a wink and even through tanned skin, could tell the older woman was starting to blush.

"It's just customary that I come by every couple of weeks to check on things here at the station." That was a lie. Regina never came to the station unless it was absolutely necessary. She just wanted an excuse to see Emma in a setting that wasn't as formal as her office, and she knew Graham would be away.

"Well that's cool of you. I like that you seem so…" Emma paused before thinking of something clever to say, "hands on." The smirk on her face let Regina know that the blonde wasn't just referring to her mayoral skills.

"I'm glad you approve, Miss Swan. Perhaps you'll become even more familiar with my 'hands on' approach as we get to each other better." Emma had to laugh a little at hearing that. She knew the mayor was just teasing her. She hadn't actually come right out and told anyone that she was gay, but anyone with half decent gaydar would be able to tell. Regina probably just liked the attention but Emma knew that it would never go beyond flirtation. She was still determined to have fun with it while she could.

Regina spoke again, changing the subject. "I trust that you had a good weekend?"

"Yeah, a great weekend actually. I found a place to live."

"That's wonderful, dear. I wasn't aware that there were any vacant apartments here in Storybrooke." Regina found it odd that anyone in the town would move somewhere without her knowing about it beforehand.

"Well technically there were no empty apartments. Mary Margaret Blanchard offered to rent out her spare room to me. Do you know her?" Right away Emma noticed that Regina's demeanor changed from friendly to icy. She didn't know what she said that could've offended her.

The brunette tried to remain calm, but internally she was fuming. She couldn't stand the idea of the woman whom she was secretly attracted to, living with her enemy. She wanted to get as far away from the sheriff's station as possible. "Yes I know who she is. I thought, Miss Swan, that you were a better judge of character. But clearly I was wrong about you." Without saying another word, Regina left.

Emma just sat there dumbfounded. _What the hell was that about?_ The sudden change in Regina's mood had nearly given her whiplash. She made a mental note to ask Mary Margaret what the deal was between her and the mayor when she got home.

* * *

"Hi Emma! How was work?" Mary Margaret greeted her new roommate with excitement. She'd been living alone for quite some time and was happy to have Emma around to keep her company.

"It was weird, to be honest. I need to ask you something about Regina. Do you have time to talk?" She'd been waiting all day to get some insight into the mayor's strange behavior earlier.

"Uh oh. When it comes to Regina it's usually not good. But sure we can talk." The brunette wasn't sure how much help she would be. She hadn't spoken to Regina in over a decade. She still couldn't fathom how someone could keep a grudge for that long.

"Well I'd heard from a few people that she was a bitch. And I kinda saw that side of her when we first met but ever since then things have been cool. I thought that we might even become friends." Emma thought it would be best to leave out the part about them flirting. "But then today, as soon as I told her that I moved in with you, she started giving me shit, saying I should be a better judge of character and blah blah blah. I don't know, it was just strange and I wanted to know if something happened between the two of you that would make her act like that."

Mary Margaret wasn't sure how much she should share with Emma. Even though she hadn't been friends with Regina since they were teenagers she still felt responsible for keeping her secret. Cora was still the only person she'd told and that proved to be a huge mistake. "There's not much to tell. Basically Regina and I used to be friends. She got upset with me about something, it doesn't really matter why at this point, but she has never forgiven me. Nobody can hold a grudge quite like Regina Mills. I'm sorry that she took it out on you though."

Emma suspected there was probably more to the story than that, but she didn't want to pry into the other woman's business. She really just wanted to make sure she wasn't going crazy when thinking that the reason for Regina's sudden attitude change was the mere mention of her roommate's name. She thought it best to drop the subject and just stay out of the mayor's way going forward. At least until she cooled down.

* * *

Regina had been able to successfully avoid Emma for a couple of weeks after hearing the news of her being Mary Margaret's new roommate. She knew the blonde hadn't really done anything wrong. She was just looking for a place to live. But Regina couldn't take the chance of getting involved with her. She could slip and say something to Mary Margaret, and she'd already proven that she was incapable of keeping a secret.

* * *

The mayor was feeling particularly stressed one Friday evening, after a long week of work. She didn't feel like it was appropriate for her to drink in public, so she indulged herself a bit at home, drinking apple cider. By the time she was on her third drink, she was feeling rather tipsy. Her mind wandered to the blonde that she had been trying so hard to forget about. She had never been one to drunk dial, but she couldn't stay away any longer. She picked up the phone and quickly sent Emma a text.

**Regina: **_Good evening, Miss Swan._

Not even a minute later Regina's phone was beeping with a response.

**Emma: **_This is quite a surprise Madam Mayor. I don't even remember giving you my number but I guess you know everything about everyone in this town._

**Regina: **_It's solely for business purposes. You are technically my employee. _

**Emma: **_Gotcha. Well what can I do for you, boss?_

Regina was stumped. She wasn't sure exactly what she was supposed to say now. Before she could think further, her fingers just began typing.

**Regina: **_I know it's past your usual shift, but I wanted to go over a few things with you. I'd discuss it with Graham but he's out on patrol and I was unable to get ahold of him. I just don't want to wait until the weekend is over and then forget. _

Did she really just invite the deputy over to her house on a Friday night? She was too intoxicated at this point to feel embarrassed, but she still held her breath waiting for Emma to text back her answer.

**Emma: **_I'll be right over. Just give me fifteen minutes._

* * *

Emma was wondering what could be so important that Regina needed to speak with her so urgently, and on a Friday night. She was actually a little excited to receive a text from the woman, but then she started to get nervous. _I bet she's gonna fire me_. Emma thought. She'd made a couple of attempts to deliver some paperwork to the mayor, but she was always told that Regina was busy and didn't have time for visitors who did not have a scheduled appointment. Surely she wouldn't be able to continue being the deputy for someone who wouldn't even speak to her. She was already on the mayor's front porch so whatever she needed to talk about, Emma just wanted to get it over with. She barely knocked before she heard the knob turn on the other side of the door.

"Thank you for coming to meet with me, Deputy Swan. I know this isn't our typical meeting place." Emma could tell right away that Regina had been drinking. She wasn't quite slurring her words, but her eyes were glossy and she was swaying just slightly as she stood in the doorway.

"Are you gonna fire me or something? I'm not sure what I did to upset you, but if you're gonna fire me then please just do it."

Regina didn't know what to say. She wasn't going to fire Emma but she also wasn't sure what to do now that she was standing in front of her. "I'm not going to fire you, dear. How about you come in and have a drink."

Emma hesitantly agreed. Regina led her to her study and poured two glasses of apple cider. They both downed their drinks rather quickly and still hadn't said anything since walking into the house. This drink hit the brunette faster than she expected and suddenly her liquid courage was through the roof, and she had some things she wanted to get off of her chest.

Regina moved to sit down on the brown leather couch next to Emma. "I know you're aware that I'm attracted to you, and I figured it would be best for you come over so we can stop playing this little game."

Emma's jaw nearly dropped to the floor. This was the last thing she expected to hear when rushing over to Regina's house after not speaking to her for two weeks. She wanted to take Regina up on her offer but in the mayor's current state, it just didn't seem right. "I think we should talk about this when we both have a clear head." She didn't want Regina to feel insulted if she pointed out that she was the only one who was inebriated.

"I'm thinking perfectly clear, Deputy. I just think you're all talk and no action. Here, let me help you with that." And with that, Regina moved towards Emma with lightning speed and had her lips pressed against Emma's before the blonde could object. Before she knew it, the older woman was pulling her up off the couch and dragging her down the hall into her bedroom, trying her hardest to ensure their lips didn't break apart.

There was no doubt in Emma's mind that she wanted Regina. And it would be really easy to give in to her desires, especially since she hadn't been with anyone in so long. She needed a minute to think before making what could potentially be a huge mistake. "Madame M.. umm… Regina. Do you mind if I use your bathroom?"

Even in Regina's drunken state, she was still capable of giving Emma the most seductive look that she'd ever seen. "Yes, dear. But do hurry. I'll be waiting for you in bed."

_Fuck Emma, pull yourself together._ She splashed some water on her face and stared at herself in the mirror for what seemed like an eternity. Regina may have been drunk but she was an adult and more than capable of making her own decisions, right? Emma thought that this chance may never come along again. Should she just go with it or leave now and pretend it never happened?

Once she'd finally made up her mind, Emma walked back into the room and saw Regina. In her bed, as promised.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Despite the craziness of the finale I managed to get this finished. What did everyone think of the finale by the way? Call me naïve but I still have hope that Swan Queen in endgame, and I'm going down with this ship no matter what! But on a happier note, I think you all will enjoy this chapter :) Thanks again for all the support. This week will be a bit calmer so I should have the next chapter posted soon!**

* * *

Chapter Seven

"It's about time, Miss Swan. I was beginning to get worried that you'd locked yourself in the bathroom. Aren't you going to join me?" Emma stood in the doorway for a moment staring at the woman who was trying so hard to entice her to come to bed. Despite how drunk Regina was, she was still the sexiest woman that Emma had ever laid eyes on. How the hell was she supposed to resist her?

The blonde walked over the side of the bed where Regina was sitting, leaning against the headboard. Even the way she sat was seductive, with one leg straight and the other leg slightly bent, showing off her smooth, tan legs. Emma couldn't help herself. She leaned down and kissed Regina softly. It was like there was a magnet pulling her towards the other woman and soon the soft kiss turned into something much more intense. Regina reached up and grabbed Emma's hair, eliciting a moan from both of them. Emma's mouth was open slightly and Regina took full advantage, sneaking her tongue in to meet Emma's. Neither had ever experienced such a strong desire before.

Emma wanted so badly to feel every part of Regina, but her inner conscience was telling her to stop. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if Regina woke up the next morning regretting sleeping with her. "Regina wait. I'm sorry. This isn't right."

The older woman looked shocked. She'd never been rejected before. But then again she'd never been with a woman before either. "Pardon me?"

"I'm not trying to hurt your feelings. I just don't think this is the best time. Please don't take it the wrong way." Emma wanted Regina to understand but she knew that even the sophisticated Regina Mills would not be the most rational when intoxicated.

Regina just laughed at the notion that anyone was capable of hurting her feelings. "Please don't flatter yourself, dear. If you actually think this meant something to me then you're terribly mistaken. And don't think you'll have this chance again. Please see yourself out. I need some sleep anyway."

The blonde wanted to say something, but figured it would be pointless. She stood in the room for a moment longer, hoping Regina would soften the harsh look that had formed on her face. When that didn't happen Emma turned and left, then made her way down the stairs and out of the mansion.

She began trying to process what had just occurred as she got in her car and started the short drive back home. She had no idea what all of this meant. Sure, the two had flirted with each other but this was on an entirely different level. Did Regina actually have feelings for her, or was she just lonely and drunk? Emma was positive it had to be the latter. Regina wasn't even a lesbian. With the way that rumors spread in Storybrooke Emma would have already heard something about that if she was. No. This was just another straight girl wanting to use Emma to experiment. And like always alcohol was needed to do it. She promised herself that she wouldn't get sucked into the same kind of trap again, whether it be with Regina or anyone else.

Emma tip toed into the loft, hoping that she would be quiet enough not to attract the attention of her roommate. No such luck. "Emma is that you?" She heard Mary Margaret call from her bed.

"Yeah sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. I'll head upstairs so you can go back to sleep." Maybe she could still escape without having to explain anything.

"No I wasn't asleep yet. Where were you?" By now Mary Margaret was getting out of bed and heading to the main living area.

Emma wasn't sure what to tell her. She couldn't say that she was at Regina's. Even if she tried to say it was for work she knew that her friend would see right through that. There's no way the mayor would be conducting town business on a Friday night. _Why the hell couldn't I have seen that before?_ Emma criticized herself silently. Perhaps she did know that subconsciously, but she was too intrigued at the time to ignore Regina's request for her to come over.

"I just went for a drive and then walked along the beach for some fresh air. I've never really seen the beach here at night." Emma studied the brunette's face, trying to see if there was any sign of skepticism at her lie.

"Oh you should've told me. I would've gone with you to keep you company." Mary Margaret seemed to be buying the story.

"Next time, I promise. I'm gonna go to bed though. See you in the morning?" Emma held in her breath so that her relief at fooling her roommate wouldn't be so obvious.

Mary Margaret smiled. "Yes I'll be here. Maybe we can go to breakfast at Granny's. Ruby would like that too."

"Deal. Good night."

* * *

Regina awoke with a splitting headache and an overwhelming feeling of nausea. It took her a few minutes before she began to remember the events that took place the previous evening. It was all still very hazy, but it was enough to cause her to run to the bathroom. She barely made it to the toilet in time to empty the alcohol that still remained in her stomach. Once she was sure there was nothing left in her to throw up, she laid her head on the white porcelain seat. She certainly never pictured herself in such a state, as she was always the epitome of grace.

She stayed in the same position for quite some time as she tried to piece together what had happened. She wanted to blame Emma but she knew better than that. It wasn't Emma who went out of her way to find Regina's number to text her, nor was she was the one who drank too much and invited Regina to her house. Emma also wasn't the one who initiated the kiss between the two women. Regina knew that wasn't even the worst of it. She knew Emma was only trying to be respectful when she put a stop to things, but Regina did what she knew how to do best and tried to act like she didn't care.

How could she have been so reckless? She feared that Emma had gone straight home and told Mary Margaret all the horrible things she'd said and done. That would just be one more thing that her friend turned enemy could use against her if need be. Her biggest fear however, was that Emma would never speak to her again. She knew she had to rectify the situation somehow. She slowly lifted herself up off her bathroom floor. She needed a hot bath in order to regroup and figure out what to do next, and hopefully Emma would forgive her.

* * *

How Emma managed to fall asleep with all the craziness going on inside her head was beyond her. It must've been the mental and emotional exhaustion that made it possible. Whatever it was, she was grateful. It made it easier to put on a smile and get through breakfast with Ruby and Mary Margaret. Luckily, neither of them knew her well enough to know when she was actually fine or just putting on a show.

When Emma was just about done eating breakfast, she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She thought that was odd since her only friends in Storybrooke were also at the diner, and it was too early for Lily to be awake on a Saturday. She didn't want to be rude by using her phone at the table so she decided that whoever it was could wait.

By the time Emma arrived back home from Granny's, she almost forgot to check her phone to see who had texted her. She didn't remember until she was taking off her jeans to put on sweatpants so she could relax. Her phone fell out of her pants pocket and onto her bedroom floor. She picked it up to read the text and wasn't at all prepared for what she saw.

**Regina: **_I think it's best that you and I talk._

Regina was pacing frantically in her kitchen. She'd sent Emma a text message more than thirty minutes ago and still hadn't received a response. She understood she'd acted very poorly and she couldn't blame Emma for not wanting to speak with her, but the least she could do was respond and tell her that rather than just ignore her. Just then she heard her phone buzzing on the counter. As much as she wanted a response from Emma she was almost scared to read it. She had to face it though, and maybe it wouldn't be as bad as she thought.

**Emma: **_I'm not sure that's such a good idea Madame Mayor. Our "talk" last night didn't go so well. _

**Regina: **_I know. Please give me the chance to apologize in person._

**Emma: **_How can I be sure this isn't some type of trap? You weren't exactly up front about your intentions last night._

**Regina: **_I don't blame you for thinking that, but I assure I'm not trying to mislead you in any way. _

**Emma: **_If I agree to come talk to you do you promise to lay off the apple cider?_

**Regina: **_Yes. I can promise that after last night I will not be drinking again for some time._

**Emma:**_ Fine. I'll be over in a little bit._

The conversation went much better than Regina thought it would. That was the easy part though. She knew that in order for her apology to be sincere, she had to do something she'd rarely ever done before. She had to be vulnerable.

* * *

Emma knew she was a sucker for giving in to Regina so easily, but there was something about her that made it hard to say no. And now here she was, standing on the mayor's doorstep all over again. She rang the doorbell and soon after Regina answered. Emma could tell she'd had a rough morning but that didn't make her look any less beautiful.

"Thank you for coming, Miss Swan." Regina's nervousness kicked into high gear at the sight of the blonde, and she could feel a lump start to rise in her throat.

Emma almost laughed at how formal the other woman was being. "After last night I think it's safe to say that you can call me Emma."

"Okay… Emma. Please come in. We can talk in the dining room. Would you like anything to eat or drink?" The brunette was hoping that Emma would say yes just so she could delay their talk a little longer.

"No I'm good. I'm just ready to hear whatever you have to say." Emma could tell how nervous she was, and she knew that this wasn't easy for her. But she still needed to hear her out before she would consider making any further attempts to be friends with her.

Emma followed Regina up the steps in the foyer and straight back to where the dining room was. She thought it was kind of strange that the dining room table was so big being that it was just Regina living in the house, but she realized it would look silly to have a small table in such a large room. Rich people decorated their homes more for show than actual functionality, she guessed.

"Please sit down Miss, er I'm sorry, Emma." She waited for Emma to sit and then pulled out her own chair to take a seat.

"Before you start Regina, I want you to know that I'm really good at telling if someone if bullshitting me, so please just be honest and straight to the point." Emma came across a little harsher than she'd intended but she wasn't here to play games.

"Yes I understand. I'm going to try to explain it to you and I just ask that you let me finish, and then if you have any questions I'd be happy to discuss them with you. Is that okay?"

Emma could tell Regina was genuinely trying. "Yeah that's fine. You have the floor Madame Mayor."

Regina took a breath and exhaled slowly. It was now or never. "Thank you. I'm going to try and give you the shortest version possible so that I don't bore you. First off, let me begin by saying how truly sorry I am for last night. It was very out of character for me and I am mortified by my behavior. I also need you to know that I didn't mean the things I said before you left. I do care about you, Emma. In ways that I don't really understand. This isn't the first time I've had an inclination that I was attracted to women, but this is the first time I've ever even come close to acting on it. The only other time I've spoken about this was when I was a teenager, and that didn't work out so well. My mother found out and convinced me that I couldn't possibly live such a lifestyle, and I've been able to keep this hidden ever since. But something changed the day you came to Storybrooke, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. If you want to keep our relationship strictly professional going forward, I understand and will respect your wishes. I just ask that you please not share this with anyone."

Emma wasn't sure what to say or do next. It was a lot to take in all at once. Had Regina actually said she cared about her? And that she couldn't stop thinking about her? She was tempted to pinch herself to make sure it wasn't all just a dream. Her first instinct was to run out the door and get as far away from Regina as possible, but the look of sincerity and desperation on Regina's face made her want to stay and deal with the situation.

"If you're worried about me telling anyone, don't be. I'm not that kind of person. I have to say that I'm a little… or a lot, surprised that you even thought about me. I mean, you're way out of my league to be honest so I don't know how to take that. But I appreciate you being so honest with me. I know it was hard for you. I just worry about getting whiplash from your constant mood swings cause one day we're totally cool and then you're freaking out on me for no reason. Like when I told you I moved in with Mary Margaret. What the hell was that about?"

Regina hadn't anticipated that she would be asked about that, but she knew she couldn't evade the question. "I can see how my reaction to that would seem peculiar to you. And again, I apologize. Mary Margaret and I were friends once. She's the only person in Storybrooke who knows about what I've just told you. It's because of her that my mother found out. I was never able to trust her after that. Once I found out that you moved in with her I felt that it would be impossible for you and I to ever become close, and it upset me. I know that none of that has anything to do with you. I just have a certain image to uphold, being that I'm the Mayor. I can't risk people finding out and then doubting my abilities simply because of my sexual orientation. Can you understand where I'm coming from?"

Emma was glad she'd gotten down to the bottom of what happened since she knew Mary Margaret would probably never tell her the whole story. "I kinda get it. I mean I don't think people would question your ability as Mayor because of something like that, but it's not my place to tell you how to feel about it. If you don't want to tell anyone then that's up to you. But I don't think Mary Margaret is out to get you. I asked her about her history with you, and she wouldn't give me any details. So maybe it was just a misunderstanding or something. You both were pretty young."

Regina hadn't spoken to anyone about what happened between her and her old friend, but now that she had she was realizing that maybe Emma was right. It did sound slightly ridiculous to stay so angry at someone for so long over a secret. And it was true that Mary Margaret never told anybody else. Oh well. She would have to deal with that later. It was too much to think about while she was trying to sort out her feelings for Emma. "I'll take what you said under advisement. I just want to make sure that there will be no issues between us.

"Nope we're good." They both sat in awkward silence and Emma wondered if maybe it was time for her to leave. "Unless there's anything else you wanna talk about, I should probably get out of your way. I don't wanna take up your whole Saturday."

Regina had one more thing she wanted to ask Emma, and she knew if she didn't do it now she would never have the courage again. "Before you go, I need to ask you something."

"What's that?" Emma said as she got up and started walking towards the door with Regina following just behind her.

"Would you like to…. have dinner with me sometime?" Regina felt her entire body trembling. She'd never asked anyone out before.

"You mean like a date?" Emma was trying to keep herself from grinning ear to ear like a fool.

"I suppose. If that's what you'd like to call it." The brunette was doing a good job of keeping her composure despite the fact that she was terrified.

Emma took a moment longer before answering. "Sure Regina. I'd love to go on a date with you."

"Okay great. I'll call you with the details."

Both women waved at each other before Regina closed the door. Once the other was no longer in view, they each pumped their fists in the air in victory. The same thought was running through their minds. This was really happening. They were going on a date.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hi everyone! I want to start out by saying that I am so incredibly sorry about how long this update has taken, and thank you so much for being patient with me! This past month has been unbelievably hectic, but I promise you that I will never abandon this story, and it shouldn't take me this long to update it again. Thank you all again for the follows and your encouraging comments. Enjoy! :)**

* * *

Chapter Eight

Monday was usually Emma's least favorite day of the week, but being asked out by the hottest woman in Storybrooke seemed to put a little more pep in her step. She was still waiting to hear what the plans would be, but she was sure she would within the next couple of days. She assumed Regina didn't want to seem too eager.

It was hard for Emma to remember the last time she'd had a crush on anyone. Lily had been her only real girlfriend. She had some flings in college, but they were all meaningless. Each of the short-lived relationships usually ended with some object flying at Emma's head and the girl screaming something about the blonde being cold and heartless. The truth though was that Emma was very capable of feeling. She just hadn't found a woman who intrigued her intellectually. Until now. She was still guarded, but allowing herself to explore the possibility of a relationship with Regina was exciting. She still knew very little about the woman and that needed to change. But that's exactly what dates were for.

Even Graham noticed a change in Emma's demeanor as soon as she walked into the station. "Somebody looks like they had a good weekend."

Emma tried to play it cool. "Yeah it was alright I guess. Just caught up on some sleep."

"Sleep? Is that what the kids are calling it these days? Cause you look like somebody who just got laid."

Emma grabbed a pen from her desk and threw it at Graham, hitting him directly in the forehead. "Shut up Graham. There are other things that people get happy about besides getting laid, ya know."

The Sheriff rubbed the spot on his head, pretending as though it actually hurt. "It's fine if you don't wanna tell me. Just remember that this is a small town and I'll find out eventually."

The blonde was getting annoyed by how smug he was being. "Then I guess it's a good thing that there's nothing to find out. Don't you have work to do? Delinquents to catch?"

Graham could tell Emma was getting irritated and didn't want to push her buttons too much. "Fine, I'll leave you alone for now. You know how to reach me if you need anything."

* * *

By early afternoon on Tuesday, Emma still hadn't heard anything from Regina. She was starting to think that the mayor had reconsidered their date. The blonde was trying to convince herself that she wouldn't be disappointed if that was the case, but she knew she was lying to herself. She contemplated whether or not she should give it another day. Emma was never one to sit around and wait for things to happen so she decided to pay Regina a casual visit at her office. She was sure there was paperwork that needed to be dropped off anyways.

Regina felt like she was going to start pulling her hair out at any minute. She'd been staring at budget reports since the previous morning. All of the schools in Storybrooke were in serious need of some costly renovations, and she was looking for any possible way to cut costs from somewhere in order to make this happen. So far she wasn't having any luck, but she always found a way. She would just have to keep re-doing the calculations until something worked.

She was startled when she heard the phone on her desk ring. She'd canceled all of her appointments for the day, and her receptionist usually knew better than to disturb her. She answered the phone, trying to hide her annoyance at the girl's apparent incompetence. "What is it Ashley?"

The girl's voice was shaky. She knew the mayor wouldn't be happy about being interrupted. "I'm so sorry Madame Mayor, but you have a visitor."

"Did I not make it clear that all of today's appointments were to be canceled?" Regina couldn't fathom what was so hard for Ashley to understand about the direction that was given to her.

Now Ashley sounded as if she was on the verge of tears. "Yes, I know. It's Sheriff Swan, and she said she had some paperwork for you, but I can ask her to come back. I shouldn't have bothered you."

"No, wait!" Regina's heart immediately started beating at a quicker pace the second Emma's name was mentioned. "You can send her in, Ashley."

It was no more than a few seconds later when the doorknob to her office started to turn. She stood and walked to the other side of her desk, waiting for Emma to come in. The sight of the blonde brought an instant smile to her face, despite how stressful her day had been thus far.

Emma was a little more nervous about her impromptu visit after hearing Ashley's end of the conversation with Regina. The fact that she agreed to let her in though was a good sign, or at least she was hoping it was. "Hey Regina. Or should I call you Madame Mayor during business hours?"

The brunette chuckled. "Regina is fine as long as it's just the two of us. To what do I owe the pleasure of this surprise visit?"

Emma relaxed and moved towards one of the chairs to sit down, as Regina moved back to her plush office chair opposite the blonde. "Well there are a couple of things. I have some paperwork for you. I know I usually don't drop it off until later in the week but I honestly didn't wanna wait. I hadn't heard from you about our date, and I wanted to make sure that it's still happening at some point. If you wanna bail, I'd understand. Just let me know."

Regina found it rather adorable that Emma was looking at her like a puppy who'd just done something wrong. Her head was pointed slightly toward the ground, and she was looking up at the older woman through squinted eyes as if she was anticipating the worst. "I can assure you I haven't changed my mind. I apologize for making you think otherwise. I've just been incredibly busy with work and wanted to ensure that I could devote my full attention to you when we do go on our date."

Emma wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or silly. She was hoping Regina didn't think she was too desperate and get freaked out. "Sorry. I should've assumed that. I'll let you get back to work, and I'll wait to hear from you whenever you have time."

As Emma stood up and started to turn around, Regina reached across the desk and grabbed her hand to stop her. "Does Friday night at seven work for you?"

"Friday night is perfect, Regina."

* * *

Regina was certain that time couldn't have passed any more slowly from Tuesday to Friday. Even her hectic work week wasn't enough of a distraction to keep her mind off of Emma and their upcoming date. She'd never planned a date before, and she wanted it to be perfect without being too cliché. She'd nearly had a panic attack at one point when she realized that she still knew very little about Emma and what she might like. Aside from that, the two women couldn't exactly walk around Storybrooke hand in hand. She came to the conclusion that doing something simple and private would probably be best.

To Regina's surprise, Emma showed up at her house five minutes early. Even though they'd never had to meet at a specific time before, she just assumed for some reason that she'd be late. She was so used to seeing the younger woman in her deputy's outfit that her knees buckled slightly when she opened the door and saw Emma wearing a red, form-fitting, sleeveless dress that stopped a few inches above her knees. It complemented her black leather dress of the same style quite well. "Miss Swan, you showed up on time. I'm quite impressed."

Emma gave a little laugh. "First, when did we get back to the whole 'Miss Swan' thing? Secondly, I'm actually early, thank you. And third, I figured that if I'd been late this might have ended up being our only date, and I'm really hoping that's not the case."

"Touché, _Emma_." There was a hint of playful sarcasm in Regina's voice when she said the blonde's name.

"So where are you taking me anyway Madame Mayor?" Emma figured they'd be going to some fancy French bistro outside of town. The date in itself was a big step for Regina, so she knew she'd never take her anywhere in Storybrooke. And since she wasn't exactly itching to be part of the town's latest gossip she didn't mind.

"Oh now who's the one being formal? But don't worry, dear. You'll see soon enough. Shall we go?" Regina would be lying if she said she didn't enjoy having all the control in the situation.

"I'm ready when you are. And Regina, you look really beautiful by the way." Emma could tell the brunette was blushing, which made her blush as well.

"So do you, Emma." Both women got lost in each other's gaze for a moment until Regina snapped out of it and led the way to her car.

The two made small talk on the short drive to their destination. It seemed odd to Emma that they were still within the city limits of Storybrooke. It seemed even odder that there was yellow police tape around the area in which it appeared Regina would be taking her. As the town's deputy, she knew anytime there was an issue that required assistance from the Sheriff's office, but Graham hadn't mentioned anything about this.

"Uhhh is there where you meant to take me? Cause it looks like it's blocked off." Emma was beginning to think that Regina may have lost her mind.

The brunette smirked and urged Emma to get out of the car. "You have so little faith in me, dear. Just trust me."

Regina walked around to the passenger's side of the car took Emma's hand. As soon as she did, it was like an electrical current ran through both of their arms but neither wanted to act as if they noticed. They walked around the police tape, which Emma was now realizing had only been placed there to discourage anyone else from entering the area. As she was looking around, she noticed they were in a small park with a pond, a few benches, and trees surrounding them. While it was not Boston's Public Garden, it was still quite peaceful. There were even a few ducklings swimming in the pond alongside their mother. The sun was just beginning to set which made everything even more picturesque.

On the far side of the pond, there was a small table set for two. The food was already on the table, and even though each plate had a cover over it, Emma was wondering how edible the food would be since Regina would have to have brought it there quite a bit earlier. She didn't say anything though for fear that she would ruin the mood. Nobody had ever gone through this much trouble to plan a date for her before.

Regina could tell that Emma was a bit unsure about the whole thing. "Shall we sit, Emma? We should eat while the food is still fresh."

The blonde had to force herself not to laugh at that statement. "Sure, let's eat. What are we having?"

"There's something different for each of us, so you should remove the cover from your plate and take a look." Regina winked at Emma and waited to see her reaction.

Emma grinned from ear to ear when she saw what was on her plate. It was a grilled cheese from Granny's, which had quickly become her favorite meal. She was baffled when she realized it was still hot, as if Granny herself had just made it at their table. Before she took a bite she glanced at Regina's plate to see what she had and scrunched up her nose. "What the heck are you eating, just lettuce?"

"No, dear. It's kale salad. You should really try it sometime. It's much healthier than that grilled cheese you eat constantly. If you're not careful you will clog every artery in your body."

Emma took a big bite out of her sandwich and casually said, "I'm not too worried. I work out every now and again."

"Oh I can see that, believe me." Regina's dark brown eyes were full of lust, and the look on her face caused Emma to nearly choke on her food.

It took all of the younger woman's self-control to not pick Regina up off of her chair and lay her on the table. She took a moment to regroup and then tried to change the subject. "So how did you do all of this anyway? You obviously couldn't be in two places at once, unless you have some kind of magical powers I don't know about."

Obviously she didn't have any magic, but the mayor did have a few tricks up her sleeve. Being the most powerful person in the town definitely had its perks. Sidney Glass, the editor of the paper, was not-so-secretly in love with Regina and was willing to do anything she needed him to. She usually didn't take advantage of him, but she didn't know what else to do in the situation considering how limited her options were. The police tape was easy enough to get, and she knew nobody would question it being around the park that was rarely used by Storybrooke's residents. He then delivered the food just as the two women pulled up to the park, and he was able to sneak away successfully. Of course Regina didn't tell him that she'd be going there with Emma, or that it was a date at all. She just informed him that it was for a special occasion and his discretion would be appreciated. He was more than happy to oblige.

Regina contemplated telling Emma for a moment but she preferred that it remain a mystery. "How I managed all of this is not important. What's important is that we're here together." The blonde couldn't argue with that statement.

As they continued to finish their meals, they delved a little more into their pasts. Regina discussed what growing up with her mother was like, and Emma told stories from her days as an orphan. They also talked about their past relationships. Regina didn't really have much of a history to talk about other than Graham. She was reluctant to tell Emma but decided it would be better coming from her than someone else. Emma cringed slightly at the thought of them together but respected the older woman's honesty. Emma then talked a little about Lily and how they were still best friends. She sensed some jealousy from Regina and did her best to reassure her that they would never be involved with each other in a romantic way again.

They were both surprised by how easy it was to open up to one another, as if they'd been in each other's lives for years. Both women felt comfortable enough to speak freely, without any fear of judgement. The only fear either of them had was that it was too soon to feel this way. Most first dates consisted of much trivial topics of conversation, but here they were, discussing some of the most personal things from their pasts.

Once they'd finished eating, Emma and Regina moved to one of the benches close to the pond. They sat in a comfortable silence, hand in hand, watching the last few moments of the sunset. They both could've sworn that it was the most beautiful sunset they'd ever seen, and they felt more at peace than they had in quite a while.

Although Regina wished they could've sat on that bench all night, she knew they should head back to her mansion. She was already wondering what her neighbors would think about seeing Emma's yellow bug parked outside of her house on a Friday night. _She just had to pick the most obnoxious color possible, _she thought to herself. "I really do hate to end this wonderful evening, but we should probably be getting back."

Emma knew the date had to come an end at some point, but she was still disappointed. "Oh yeah, sure. Do we need to clean up any of this stuff? I'd be happy to help."

"No, dear. Everything will be taken care of." Regina took Emma's hand just as she had when their night began, and they walked back to the Mercedes.

Emma was hoping the drive back to the mayoral mansion would last as long as possible, but it seemed like they arrived there within seconds. Once they were parked in the driveway, she walked Regina to the front door.

"Regina, thank you for tonight. Really. It was the best first date I've ever been on. Hell, the best date I've been on, period. I was wondering if maybe… I could kiss you?" Emma looked down at her feet nervously waiting for a response.

The brunette didn't say anything but rather used one finger to lift Emma's chin and then pull her face close enough to hers that their noses were almost touching. Emma slowly closed the space between them. As soon as their lips met, the rest of the world disappeared. Their lips moved perfectly in sync together. The kiss was passionate yet soft. Emma wrapped her arms around Regina's waist, while Regina slowly twirled Emma's hair around her fingers. They each welcomed the vulnerability they felt in that moment.

Emma was the first to pull away. She had to before it got to a point where she wouldn't be able to stop herself from taking the kiss one step further. "I should be going _Madame Mayor_. Do you think that we could do this again sometime? But I'll plan the next one."

Regina knew the date had gone well, but it still made her happy to hear that Emma wanted to go out with her again. "I would love to go on another date with you. I must say, _Miss Swan_, I was quite impressed with you this evening."

The blonde kissed Regina on the cheek before turning to walk toward her car. "Until next time, beautiful."

"I can't wait, Emma."


End file.
